Star Fox: Revengeance
by FoxMcCloud7921
Summary: Everything that has happened has led up to this. I was heartbroken by the one I loved, and I betrayed him when he needed me most. I was seen as a traitor by the people of Corneria and once it became too much, I fled and abandoned my former identity, creating the name of Kursed, an appropriate name considering all that I've lost.
1. Prologue

(A/N: I guess there isn't much to say at this point; considering I've said enough times that this was happening. I know I've said time and time before my personal opinion about Command but the idea of having Krystal as a bounty hunter is an interesting concept and of course if they ever do a game that revolves around that I would be interested in seeing it. But anyway, let's get this started and remember that I unfortunately do not own Star Fox or its characters. The song I'm going to be using here is "Metal Gear – Ground Zero.")

* * *

Prologue

_*Two years have passed since the Anglar Blitz and the Lylat System again finds itself in an era of peace. The Star Fox team has separated and gone their separate ways but one member, due to her affiliations with Star Wolf, had been seen as a traitor by the Cornerian people and was forced to rid herself of her identity and begin a new, more deadly life under the name of Kursed.  
_

* * *

_Planet Kew, Lylat System_

Kew was an isolated world lost in its own time. The inhabitants were all natives living in different tribes and for the most part it had no affiliations with anyone. But far off from any contact there was the suspicious presence of troops guarding what looked like a factory.

The factory bordered along a large forest that a small platoon guarded. Two of the soldiers, all wearing unfamiliar armor and helmets, were standing guard further in. "Man, I know this is supposed to be a peaceful planet but this place gives me the creeps," one of them commented.

"I know," the other replied. "It's too quiet out here and it feels like we're being watched." Little did they know something _was _watching them through a HUD, marking down their location.

There was the snap of a twig nearby which startled the one guard who grabbed his rifle. "What was that?" he asked.

"Calm down, it was probably just the wildlife," the other said, but he was slightly unnerved as well. He then heard a rustle above him and as he looked up he was instantly met with a boot that smashed through his helmet.

The first guard turned and the last thing he remembered seeing before blacking out was a figure wearing a fully masked helmet come at him and knocking him out with its bare fists.

Meanwhile, the other troops were on the border of the forest when they heard gunshots in the distance. "Something's wrong," the leader replied. "You two, go check it out." The two soldiers complied and went into the forest. A couple minutes passed before two more shots were fired and everything went silent. The rest of them grabbed their guns and stood quietly, waiting.

Soon a figure started coming out of the forest. By its look alone, the leader could tell it was not one of his. "Hold it right there!" he yelled. "Just who are you!?"

The figure didn't reply but casually took something from its belt and threw it straight at them. The leader's eyes widened. "FLASH-!" It was too late as the flashbang went off, blinding all them. The figure then pulled out a blaster and shot them all in the head without a pause. When they all fell dead, the figure holstered its gun and took off its helmet, revealing long dark hair. Her name had once been Krystal, but she had gotten rid of that name long ago. Now she was Kursed, an appropriate name for her life in general and now feared bounty hunter.

She saw the factory ahead and pulled off the sniper rifle she had been carrying. Getting into a prone position, she quickly scanned the area through her scope for any additional guards. Odd, there wasn't anyone, unless there was a change in the guard shift. She then noticed something in her peripheral. Someone else was here, nearby.

She looked in that direction and her heart almost stopped. The person she saw was no soldier. His face was a face that had been etched into her mind long ago, and had since been trying to get rid of. Fox McCloud; he was here on Kew.

Kursed swore under her breath. What was _he _doing here, of all places? He couldn't have possibly followed her here. Perhaps what she was investigating had now become a Cornerian matter as well. She continued to stare at him through her scope and a horrible idea came to her mind.

Why not end it now and get rid of him? She no longer had any feelings for him, after what he did. She was no longer the Krystal he knew. And she had a very tough principle: nothing by any means was allowed to get in her way and the mission. Her heart was racing now, pumping with adrenaline. She had to take the shot now.

She lined up her crosshairs at his head. If there was one decent thing she would do, it was not to let him suffer. She still had some morals. Her finger trembled as it grazed against the trigger. She tried to pull it back but it wouldn't respond. She took a deep breath and calmed down. "Sorry Fox," were her last words to him.

A loud gunshot suddenly rang throughout the forest.

* * *

**Star Fox**  
Revengeance

(A/N: And there you have it folks, but this is just the beginning. Or rather, it will be the beginning. Just to let you guys know this has no relation to any of my other Star Fox stories. I hope this was enough to whet your appetite and stick around for more if your interested. And just to send you guys off, the song I'd like to use for this is "Powerless" from Linkin Park. Until then guys, I'll see you all later.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_One week earlier…_

In the middle of the Lylat System, anywhere between Sol and Venom, anywhere that was a far enough distance from Corneria, was an area where many didn't venture out to, including Cornerian forces. It was also the ideal place for all sorts of criminals to do their smuggling in drugs, currency, sex trafficking, you named it.

Near Sol there was also a space station where anyone could stop and grab a bite to eat while their ship was being docked and refueled. And for some, to spend some time at the bar getting plastered. One such individual was at the bar, by herself, because no one else wanted to sit next to her, because they didn't want to piss her off and end up in a body bag.

The bartender was the only brave one, handing her drinks and having a conversation. "This is your fifth drink Kursed, you're going to be puking your guts out in no time."

The blue vixen took the glass and downed it in less than a second. The tattoos she once wore were now gone, but no one could see them anyway over the dark blue jumpsuit she wore. Her hair had grown to the longest it had ever been and she kept it that way. "You know me well enough, and you know I'm no lightweight," she said as she slammed the glass back on the counter. "Besides, I'm done anyway… for now."

"I'm surprised you're even wasting money on this when that ship of yours needs it more," the bartender commented.

Kursed paused for a moment. "The _Cloud Runner_ was built by Space Dynamics, so despite its wear and tear it can still outrun a Cornerian fighter. That's how good the equipment is. But you're right, it does need repair."

It was then that an individual, a husky probably in his thirties wearing a leather jacket and cowboy hat walked up to the bar. But he wasn't brave, he was drunk and stupid. Sitting right next to her, he then said, "Hey, hey I think I know you… you're that bounty hunter Kursed ain't you?"

Kursed rolled her eyes. Bars always brought out the stupid in people. She then faked a cheerful, girlish face. "Gee, you noticed? You are certainly a smart one."

"Ah, but you don't sound like one at all," the husky said, getting close and Kursed could smell whisky on his breath. "I know you're the one who took out that crime boss Woody McNair."

"Yes, we've all heard the story," the bartender said calmly. "And if I were you sir, I'd back up about three feet if you knew what was good for you." Kursed smiled slightly. She knew the bartender, meeting him from time to time. Never asked his name though, and he never gave it to her.

"Oh come on, even bounty hunters gotta let loose ya know?" the husky said, making more of a fool of himself. "Come on babe, I have a pretty nice ship that can take us to Zoness and we can find a-" His words stopped short and his eyes widened upon seeing the muzzle of a blaster in his face.

"No thanks," Kursed said, still facing forward. "Keep trying and I'll get to see how well I shoot under the influence."

The husky gulped and slowly backed away from the bar and headed back to the table. "I appreciate you not making a mess of the bar," the bartender said casually as he washed one of the mugs.

"I'm not really in the killing mood right now," Kursed replied. She then sighed. "It's been two months since I've heard anything. Woody can't have been the last criminal around standing."

"You'll find someone," the bartender said, as if she were looking for a partner. Sadly she did, at one point.

Kursed then got up and reached into her pocket, pulling out some credits. "Thanks for the drinks."

"Thanks for the entertainment," the bartender said. "By the way, it's Monty."

Kursed smiled a real smile this time. "Okay Monty, maybe I'll see you around." It was odd, that feeling she just felt. It had been a long time since she smiled like that, long before she became who she was now.

She started walking, quickly putting those memories away. She couldn't and wouldn't allow herself to remember the old days, the days when she had gone by a different name. _Krystal_. The name almost sounded foreign to her. But she had made her choice and this was where she was now, nothing could change that.

Before she left, she then realized she was being watched. She turned and saw someone at a table in the back. The individual was a red-tailed hawk but despite his appearance, he didn't seem threatening and he was actually inviting her over. It could be one of two things: either she was being offered a job or she was walking into a trap. Either way, she had nothing better to do since she would've just sat and slept in her ship until the alcohol was out of her system.

She then walked over to the man and sat down, her eyes focused on him. "If you're asking for a good time, I don't offer that," she said to break the silence.

The hawk chuckled. "Trust me; the missus back home wouldn't appreciate that. But no, I am here asking something of a different matter. My name is Dmitry and I have an offer for you."

Kursed's eyes lit up slightly. "You're offering me a job?"

"Well, there is a job included but I'm asking for your services," Dmitry said. "Have you ever heard of Polaris?"

Kursed nodded. "_The light that will shine the way._" Who hadn't heard of them? Polaris was a freelance organization that didn't do things by the book, as they said. They crossed the lines that Corneria wouldn't, and since Corneria didn't have as much of a presence in this part of the Lylat System, they've reluctantly allowed Polaris to do the dirty work for them. "Of course, but why do you need my help?"

"I've heard about your encounter with McNair," Dmitry replied. "One of the largest crime bosses in all of the Lylat System, hidden away for almost fifteen years and you were the one to find, not anyone from Corneria. That is impressive by itself. I feel that we can work well together and from the look of things, you could use some work."

"…Yeah you're right there," Kursed replied. "But is that the only reason why?"

Dmitry looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "Perhaps many haven't been able to tell but I know a good disguise when I see it Kursed, or do you still go by Krystal?"

Kursed's eyes widened as her hand quickly jumped to her holster. "How did you-?"

"I've been in the intelligence world a long time," Dmitry said. "But I suppose you would like if we kept all that between us, da? I wouldn't even think of sabotaging your image like that."

Kursed relaxed and leaned back in her chair. "So you know who I am, do you want to hear a sad story or something?"

"Not at all, your personal business is yours," Dmitry said calmly. "Just saying that a former member of Star Fox obviously has quite the number of skills many are looking for, since Star Fox is now disbanded."

Kursed frowned slightly. She hadn't heard about that. Apparently leaving Fox and the others behind caused the team to fall apart again. It was sad to think about, considering the team had been reformed for only a few days. "So if I do accept, what's the job?"

"The elections on Macbeth are coming up and things are becoming quite tense," Dmitry explained. "One of the candidates, Councilmen Evans, is seen as a frontrunner for his promises of change and ending corruption in the cities. As you can guess, some are not happy with this."

"End corruption, clean Macbeth's image, what's not to like about him?" Kursed said. She then realized what was coming next. "…He wants me as his bodyguard?"

"To put it that way, yes," Dmitry replied. "Of course, it wasn't him exactly that asked for you because it would ruin his image. But he has said he likes your reputation and couldn't ask for a better person to be protected by."

Kursed sighed. "I don't do public Dmitry. I'd like to keep myself off the screens."

"Fair enough, we'll take care of that, but you won't have to be with him at all times, or when he is giving any speeches. The cameras will ignore you."

"…Alright I'll accept your offer but only on one condition," Kursed said. "My ship gets a complete overhaul and I want everything that can be put into it without slowing it down. It's an Arwing so it's made to be fast."

"Done." He then pulled out a box from underneath the table. "I had this just in case you still weren't convinced. I think you'll like it very much."

Kursed opened the box and inside was a brand new blaster, straight from the factory. She picked it up and once her fingers went around the grip an LED light lit up around it. It was a perfect fit.

"The gun has been programmed to only accept your handprint and if anyone else tries to use it, the gun won't fire," Dmitry said. "R&D was rather delighted to work on this project."

Kursed checked the sights, clip, and chamber. Perfect. She then looked up to Dmitry and had a grin on her face. "I think I'm starting to like you already Dmitry."

"I told you you would," Dmitry said. "Now once you're all sobered up, we'll meet back at the _Hen's Nest_, as we call it. I'll send the coordinates to your ship."

They both got up and shook hands. "So this is a long-term thing, isn't it?" she asked.

"If you'd like it to be, we would greatly appreciate it," Dmitry said. "We'll be in touch."

* * *

(A/N: Well there you have it folks, your first true look at Kursed. As you all probably know, she is almost the exact opposite of what Krystal is, but she does have some morals still and she's not completely cold, at least that's how I see it. This was more of an introduction to her character as well as other characters in this story. By the way, don't bother asking about what happened in the prologue because I'm not saying anything. :D With that being said, you'll get to see her in action the next chapter and that is where the good stuff begins but you'll have to be patient. Until then guys, see you later.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	3. Chapter 2

(A/N: For this part, the song I'm using is "Boat Ride" from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.)

* * *

Chapter 2

_*Kursed ran fast through the crowd, keeping her eyes focused on her target. Woody McNair was just ahead, pushing through people as well until he found a taxi, throwing the unfortunate driver out onto the street before starting it up and flying out into downtown Corneria City. Luckily another was close by and Kursed reluctantly had to do the same._

"_Sorry, I really need this!" Kursed said to the bulldog as she pulled him out of the cab and started it up, giving chase. She gunned the engine as she followed McNair, only about a hundred meters ahead. Who would have thought after all this time he had been on Corneria still? She had done the impossible: she had found him and whether he lived or died she was going to be paid handsomely._

_McNair wasn't making it easy though. He was speeding through opposite lanes, hoping to cause a pileup to stop her, but her skills as a pilot had never rusted and if the cab had lasers, he would've been shot down by now. Kursed had to move out of the way of an incoming bus, almost running into an electronic billboard advertising the new Superdog movie._

_It was then that McNair made his fatal mistake. He had been hoping to out speed a tanker coming from his left but the cab wasn't fast enough as the tanker crashed completely into his side and the cab grazed a nearby building before making a fiery downturn towards the ground._

_Kursed hit the brakes but she was going too fast as she swerved and her tail end smacked against it and she suddenly spun out of control. She tried to regain control but it was too late as she crashed into the electronic grid that was the planet's surface._

_She blacked out for a moment but once she regained consciousness she quickly undid her seat straps and fell down, then realizing her car was upside down. She opened the side door and got to her feet slowly, drawing her blaster. She limped slightly as she slowly made her way to the other car. McNair was already out, his back towards her as if catching his breath._

_Too late she realized it was just a ruse as McNair turned around quickly and fired three shots, all of them hitting her in the chest and knocking her off her feet. "So, out of all the people looking for me you were the only one who could?" McNair said, hacking up blood. "You stupid bitch, you ruined everything but I'm not going to the slammer, not today."  
_

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Old Snake" from Metal Gear Solid 4.)

* * *

_*Suddenly he went into a coughing fit. He was old, in his late fifties and had been on the run for almost fifteen years. While this was going on, Kursed, in pain, looked over and saw her blaster and slowly reached for it, dragging it to her side and quickly cocking it. She then raised it and lined his head in her sights._

_McNair must've seen it coming for he turned but it was too late. A shot went off and McNair hit his head against the wreckage of the cab and slumped to the ground, a hole blazed straight through the center of his forehead. He had once defiantly said he would never be found. He had proven himself wrong._

_Kursed got up and unzipped her jumpsuit, revealing the Kevlar vest underneath and three bullets that could have killed her immediately. She went over to his body and saw a locket around his neck. She pulled it off but didn't open it, knowing it had to be a loved one and it would've actually caused her to develop some sympathy for him. No, she needed this as proof she was the one to finish him off for good. Now the Lylat System would realize that Kursed was the real deal.  
_

* * *

**Macbeth**

Even after twelve years since the end of the Lylat Wars, not much has changed in Macbeth. While most of the planet has gone back to its regular lifestyle it was still dealing with the issues of pollution, mostly caused by the explosion of the Venomian base during the war. Most of the weapons there had been chemical and the area was still sanctioned off.

Corruption was a whole other problem. That, along with crime, were some of the biggest problems facing the Macbethian government and right now many were looking to Evans as the beacon of hope, which explained the extra security surrounding his transport.

Kursed was sitting across from him, looking out the window at the city. Despite the constant gloom, the city itself was marvelous. "I was fresh out of school the day that Andross attacked Macbeth," Evans said. "The battle only lasted hours and before we knew it Venomian ships dominated the air. It really was a nice planet before all that happened, and I hope I can least try to make things the way they were again."

Kursed could see why he was so well liked. The Belgian Sheep dog was not hard on the eyes and he was rather charming with his fellow citizens. A shame some wanted him dead.

"You do realize you've made a lot of enemies though, right?" she asked.

"Challenges are not without obstacles," Evans replied. "That's just the way life is. I know it may seem… shady to hire someone in your profession but despite that you're not like other bounty hunters."

Kursed then looked at him. "And why's that?"

"Most bounty hunters will do anything for money and they don't care who they help, even if they're the biggest scum in the galaxy," Evans explained. "You, on the other hand, actually hunt down the same scum, protecting innocent lives. I wish we had more of you and less of them."

"I'm just one person Councilman, and my track record isn't perfect."

"Maybe not, but you're something people can inspire to, even myself," Evans said. He looked out the window and saw kids at a park, playing sports or running around chasing each other. "I just want to help others. Politicians have a bad name now and hopefully I can clean that image."

While Kursed had been listening, her opinion of the man started to change. She always found politics and politicians a load of shit, but Evans was different. He was part of the minority, which actually wanted to help his people instead of sucking them of their money.

All of a sudden the transport came to a complete stop. "Why have we stopped?" Kursed said.

Meanwhile outside, the soldier on the turret of the armored vehicle in front of them looked out in confusion. There was someone out in the middle of the road, just standing there.

"What's going on?" Evans asked. Kursed already felt the presence of the person outside and her combat senses suddenly turned on.

"Some idiot on the street, that's all," the soldier replied. "Hey buddy, you blind or something? Get out of the damn way!" The figure didn't get out of the way; instead he started walking up to the small convoy. "Hey! That's close enough! Stop or I'll be forced to engage!"

The figure, which was now recognized as a leopard, kept going forward as he drew two revolvers. "You see these?" he then said. "Colt Single Action Armys, the most powerful revolvers in the galaxy." He then started twirling them around with ease. "And you may call me Adamska… for I'll be the last face you see."

"Don't be foolish, you can't take us all on with just that," the soldier said, keeping the turret aimed at him.

"Who said _I _was going to kill you?"

"Huh?" The soldier then heard the sound of an engine and looking to his left saw another armored transport coming straight at them. He tried to warn the driver but it was too late. The impact send the transport skidding and then it flipped onto its side.

The commotion could be heard on the inside. "Damn it!" Kursed said as she got out. "You're not safe here Councilman." She then closed the door and banged on it. "Get him out of here!" she yelled to the driver. The driver didn't hesitate as the transport sped off with the rest of the convoy.

The ATC that had been hijacked was gone but Kursed then saw soldiers descending towards the ground on jetpacks. These weren't Macbeth soldiers. She then pulled out her blaster. "Time to earn my pay," she murmured to herself.

The soldiers that hit the ground soon opened fire on her but she was already firing away. She aimed and took carefully made shots at their heads, which was the only part not heavily armored. She then grabbed the closest dead soldier's machine gun and checked the clip. "I'll take this."

More had shown up as she took cover in front of one of the buildings and she could hear sirens in the distance. The Macbeth forces would be here soon. After a pause, she went out of cover and fired on the two soldiers that were sneaking up on her. While not completely experienced, there were a lot of them and they seemed to be focused on one thing.

The rest of them soon broke off, heading off deeper into the city. Kursed meanwhile went inside the now abandoned building as she could hear gunshots not too far away. She then activated her commlink as she looked outside. "Lewis, you copy?"

"Loud and clear Kursed, what's going on down there?" Lewis was one of the tech experts in Polaris and part of the team Dmitry commissioned.

"Everything's gone to hell in a hand basket," Kursed replied. "Is the Councilman okay?"

"Yeah, the beacon on his transport is still operating and moving but he's lost half of his security force," Lewis said.

"Damn it."

"I'll let you know if anything changes."

"Think you can pave me a way to him?"

"Let's see…" She could hear typing on his end. "Well, Main Street and anything connected is swarming with troops, friend and foe but if you stick to the back roads you should be fine. There's a tram station that Evans is headed towards and it's just outside the city. I'll send you coordinates there but be careful, we don't know what we're dealing with."

"Thanks for the help Lewis," Kursed said before cutting off the connection. She then took out a pair of electrobinoculars and scanned the area. The place was now crawling with troops and going headfirst would easily get her killed. A map then came up on her radar with Lewis' directions. She then headed out towards the tram station.

* * *

(A/N: Okay, maybe this didn't have as much action as you hoped but I promise in the next chapter it will! School for me starts next week so I can't if it will mess with when I'm able to post chapters but I'll do what I can. So hopefully you all enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you all later.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	4. Chapter 3

(A/N: Hey everyone sorry for the long wait. As it turns out, this semester for me is going to be busier than I thought, but that's college for you. I will try to keep up with things and hopefully I can still dish out a chapter every week or so. By the way, if you guys love action and like hot-looking women then I have an anime you should all check out! It's called RWBY and it's produced by the same people who do Red Vs. Blue and it's awesome, especially if you like guns and weapons merged with guns. But before you actually watch it, make sure to watch the trailers for it because they themselves are pretty sweet. Anyway, the song I'm using for this song is "Rules of Nature" from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.)

* * *

Chapter 3

Kursed continued on the path provided on her radar, going through the back alleyways towards the tram station. Gunfire continued to sound in the distance as Macbeth reinforcements arrived, but judging what she heard, the other group was putting up a good fight.

"Lewis, can you find out anything about these guys?" she asked.

There was a pause. "I managed to get a few pics of them from the security cameras around the city," Lewis replied. "The uniforms are unfamiliar, and they don't look like Venomians. My guess is either this is some local militia or rogue faction of some military."

"They're really hell bent on getting to the councilman if they're willing to go through Macbeth forces," Kursed replied. "Just keep an eye on him for me."

It was odd not seeing people panicking in the street. Perhaps they were told to stay in their homes, especially those in the main part of the city. However, what got Kursed's attention was that the gunfire immediately stopped. Something was going on and it was probably in her best interest to check it out.

She changed routes before arriving at the square of the main street. There were tanks and equipment around but everything had been abandoned. Something was wrong. Then like being stung by a bee she felt it, coming at an incredible speed.

Suddenly from behind one of the buildings a large figure jumped over and crashed close to where she was standing, putting a small crater in the road. *Once the dust settled, Kursed saw it was not a person but a thing; thing being one of those new AI-operated mechs that stood about thirty feet tall.

The mech instantly scanned the area and picked her up. _"Lifesign detected. You are an enemy. You are to be eliminated with extreme prejudice."_ One of its arms opened up, displaying seeker missiles.

"Oh shit!" Kursed had to run and dodge out of the way as the missiles were fired at her. Fortunately they missed but they quickly kicked up debris and exploded into some of the hopefully now abandoned homes.

Kursed fired her rifle at the mech but the bullets just reflected off of it. That armor was tough but the only way to shut this thing down was to take out its AI core. She had an idea how to do this but she only had one chance. One of the buildings in front of her had part of its walls removed but there was a staircase.

She quickly across the road, now avoiding the mech's burst of machine gun fire. She ran up the stairs as she pulled out her staff. She was now on the second floor and waited for the machine to take her bait.

She didn't have to wait long as one of its arms crashed through the walls still standing. She quickly hopped onto its arms and ran over to where its "head" was. It tried to shake her off but Kursed held her ground as she jumped into the air while activating her staff. The Super Quake function slammed into the mech's head, shattering the armor like aluminum and exposing its core.

The blast must have scrambled the mech's programming for it started to spill out gibberish before once again saying, _"You are an enemy."_

Kursed pulled out her blaster. "Nighty night," she said before shooting the core three times. She quickly jumped off as the mech shut down and collapsed onto the ground. Kursed patted the dust off her suit as she holstered her gun and pulled her staff out of the machine's head.

"Hey Kursed, I got some bad news," Lewis said in her ear. "I just lost Evans' signal."

"Damn it," Kursed growled. "I'm almost there."

She broke out into a run, realizing she had already wasted enough time. She was almost at the station when she saw a train passing by up ahead. Then, to her horror, she saw that Evans was on one of the cars with the leopard from before holding a gun to his head.

Her run turned into a sprint as she managed to catch the last car before the train speeded off. She climbed up the ladder to the top and was almost blasted off due to the wind but kept her footing. She pulled out her blaster and jumped from car to car until she could see the two figures. She aimed her blaster once she was on the same car and slowly walked to them.

"I wouldn't get any closer Kursed!" Adamska said as he pulled back the hammer on his gun. "This train's a bit rocky but I assure you at this range my bullet won't miss."

Evans was gagged but he looked at Kursed with pleading eyes. "I don't know what you want with the councilman or who paid you but it's over," Kursed said. "But since you happen to know me, you know I won't let you escape. You get to choose life or a body bag."

Adamska laughed. "Who said we wanted anything with him? Perhaps some of the locals do, but his life is no concern to us. We're just here to… keep the order in check, and we answer to no one. But I suppose we are after the same thing." Suddenly, his gun went off and Evans crumbled to the ground. "Sorry councilman, nothing personal. It's just business."

"You're going to pay for that!" But before she could fire, a blast rattled the car and knocked her off balance.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that!" Adamska said as he took off. Kursed looked over and saw a ship flying towards her. She then realized it wasn't one of Macbeth's. The aircraft started to fire at her and took out the car she had been standing on before jumping over. She could see it was targeting her and fired her blaster rapidly at the ship's cockpit. It cracked the canopy but one shot appeared to have struck the pilot for it veered off to the left and soon crashed.

Kursed looked at the charred remains of the car, Evans' body long gone now. She bowed her head. "I'm sorry Evans… I let you down. But I won't them get away with this." She kept moving, heading towards the engine, where Adamska had to be.

However, she then saw someone else up ahead and took caution. "Who the hell are you?"

The figure turned and she almost jumped. The person was a gray fox, resembling Fox slightly but she was female. She had an amused smile on her face. "Mind if I…cut in?"

"As a matter of fact I do," Kursed said. "Let me guess, you're working with your friend the sharpshooter?"

"You could say that," the fox said. "But he's not my friend, nor do I agree with his methods of execution."

"Well, if I have to go through you to get to him so be it," Kursed said.

"Of course, now I remember you Kursed," the fox said. "Ridding the galaxy of the wicked. Tell me, is your cause just or do you just tell yourself that?"

"Fuck you!"

"It appears I struck a nerve," the fox said as she unsheathed the blade she was holding at her side. "It appears we'll have to settle this formally."

"Tch." Kursed pulled out her staff as well. "Before I end up killing you I need to know your name."

"The name is Rina, and I'll have the first strike!" Her actions were quick and fluid, quacking putting Kursed on the defensive. She quickly held up her staff to block an overhead slice. "Ah, your weapon is strong as well," Rina remarked. "But a weapon is only as good as the wielder who uses it!" She struck again, forcing Kursed back slightly.

Soon the train entered a tunnel and everything went dark. She could quickly sense Rina and tell she was waiting, but she didn't know Kursed was a Cerinian. Finding her, she launched herself forward and attacked but Rina blocked her strike before moving back. "Nice try, but my senses are exceptional as well."

Kursed growled and kept up her attack. Rina kept blocking but now she was being forced back. "Not bad, not bad at all," she said. "I can see you've been taught to fight at a young age and your skills prove that. Unfortunately, I still have a few years on you and this is no ordinary blade."

The train then cleared the tunnel and both of them were facing each other. The blade Rina carried soon started to glow a bright red and instead of attacking head on, she swung her blade in a large arc and the glowing red arc shot off towards her.

Kursed tried to use her staff's ability to shield herself but it was too late. The attack knocked her off her feet and she crashed hard onto the metal of the car they were standing on. She had hit her head hard and it wasn't long before she soon blacked out.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Sad" from The Last Story. I don't think that's the actual name of the song but oh well.)

* * *

_Two years ago…_

_*The cold rain fell on her fur as she ran through the streets of Corneria. She no longer knew if she was still crying or not. She then stopped at the corner and broke down. The guilt she had been harboring for some time had finally gotten to her._

_What she had done to Fox and the others was unforgivable. She had deserted them and instead went along with Star Wolf. But now she realized the fame and satisfaction she had for a short while hadn't been worth it. She went from being loved to hated by the people of Corneria and it was those words, including "traitor", that finally got to her._

_After a short while she finally recovered and a strange calm came over her. There was only one thing left to do then. If they wanted her gone, then so be it. She wanted to make up for what has been done, but she can't do it herself. No, someone else had to do it._

"_Kursed," she then murmured. A sad smile crept onto her face. The name seemed perfect given her predicament. "I'll no longer be Krystal. I will always be Kursed."_

_Once she dried herself off, she turned back and headed to the hangar to get the Cloud Runner. There was much to be done.  
_

* * *

(A/N: Eh… I'm not so sure what to say about this chapter but I'm alright with it. I know you guys probably don't mind though. Well, I got this all done in one day so I'm off the hook right? Just kidding, but like I said before my schedule is going to get crazy. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you guys soon.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

In darkness all Kursed could hear was the low humming of engines in the background. She was on a ship. She opened her eyes slowly and saw she was lying in a bed in a med bay.

"Ah, you're finally awake." She looked over and saw Dmitry standing by the bed. "Gave us a bit of a scare there."

She sat up and felt a twinge of pain in her back. "How long was I out?"

"About sixteen hours," Dmitry replied. "We found you on an abandoned train and were able to get you out of there before the police showed up. The fighting on Macbeth is over but Evans is dead."

"I know," Kursed said softly. "I saw it first hand."

"So what happened down there?" he asked.

"To be honest, it happened so fast I don't know what to think of it," Kursed explained. "We were in a suburban area and everything was fine. Then this maniac wielding revolvers shows up and starts shooting people. Adamska I think his name was. He was the one who killed Evans. Not to mention there were soldiers I didn't even recognize and having to deal with a mech as well."

"It seems that those who wanted Evans gone got what they wanted," Dmitry mused.

Kursed then got up and looked out the window, only seeing space outside. "No," she said. "I think there's more to this than just assassinating a politician. Everything was too perfect, the timing, the execution, all of it. These people were pros, not some local militia strung together."

"So what will you do now? You did what you could, and despite the circumstances you at least fulfilled your job."

It certainly didn't feel like it, not to her. "This isn't over yet. I know conspiracies when I see them and I have a feeling this could be a big one." She looked to the hawk. "If you don't mind Dmitry, I'd like to stay awhile and figure this out, if you're willing to help me."

Dmitry chuckled. "I had just spoken to my superiors before coming down and Polaris is now in full investigation; and we're the ones leading the charge. We don't have any leads yet but I know someone who usually gets around and hears word on the street. He runs a club on Corneria and as you can guess, he doesn't dare leave the planet."

As he would've guessed, Kursed didn't look thrilled. "Corneria is way out of my comfort zone."

"Don't worry, there's an agent there from Polaris who can help you get in without drawing any attention. Of course, what you're wearing now would probably do just that."

Kursed scoffed. "Fine, I'll stop by some pretty shop and get some nice jeans and a hoody."

"Before you do that there are a few things you're going to need," Dmitry said. "Follow me."

The inside of the ship reminded her of the _Great Fox_, size and everything. That meant this ship had to be a dreadnought-class. They took the elevator down to the second floor where Research and Development was located. When they entered the lab, they saw Lewis the beagle looking at something on his tablet.

"Aw man, they still don't have a release date for Bayo-" He then stopped short seeing both Kursed and Dmitry. "Oh hey guys. Kursed, how you feeling?"

"I've been better," Kursed replied. "Sorry you're so worried about that new hack-and-slash game there."

"Oh what this?" Lewis put down his tablet. "It's nothing, really."

"Lewis, I was hoping you could show us what R&D has developed since Kursed will be staying with us… for the time being," Dmitry stated.

"Right," Lewis said, getting up and walking over to one of the tables. "Here we go…" He then pulled out what looked like a regular grey flight suit. "Now I know what you're thinking, but this is no ordinary flight suit. No, this here has a state of the art camouflage system. Whatever you touch or lean against, the suit will match that color or pattern, perfect for sniping and espionage, whichever you choose. And of course if you need to you can always turn it off with the click of a button."

"R&D was also working on face camo but… it still has some glitches to be worked out," Dmitry added. "By the way you should know it was Lewis who came up with the fingerprint ID on your blaster."

"It's a nice gun Lewis," Kursed remarked. "Think you can make me another one?"

"Well some of the team is working on doing the same with assault weapons," Lewis said. "Imagine one day all militaries will be carrying guns made just for them… until they're shot then the gun is pretty much useless. And one last thing." He handed Kursed a new comlink. "This comlink not only allows you to talk through audio but also via video. That way wherever you are we can figure out your location, especially if you're lost somewhere."

"I'll take good care of it," Kursed replied. "Thanks for the gifts Lewis."

Lewis did a small wave as they left before returning to his tablet. "Alright, Wii U it is then…"

* * *

(A/N: For this next part the song I'm using is "The Normandy Reborn" from Mass Effect 2.)

* * *

*"There's one last thing for you to see," Dmitry said. They then took the elevator down to the bottom floor where the hangar was. "Despite all that happened, I like to be a man of my word." The doors then opened and the place was pitch black. "The design team had been working like mad since you had been out. Just got done two hours ago."

The lights then turned on and Kursed saw for the first time her new and improved Arwing. The _Cloud Runner _shined like it was brand new. But it was better than new. It had also had its lasers upgraded too and her wings looked a lot sharper now than before.

"The best that Polaris can offer," Dmitry said. "Pretty nice, da?"

Kursed was awestruck. "Thank you Dmitry; I really do appreciate this."

"Just put it to good use," Dmitry said, smiling. "Now didn't you say you have a mission to take care of?"

Kursed nodded and headed to her ship. She jumped in and closed the canopy before initiating the start-up sequence. The hangar doors ahead of here then opened up. Once she was ready, she guided her Arwing out of the hangar into space. Once she was clear, she set her coordinates towards Corneria and hit her thrusters, blasting off into space.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part the song I'm using is "I Remember" by deadmaus and Kaskade.)

* * *

**Corneria**

Vince Desmond was rather well known on Corneria, for better and for worse. Most people saw him as a celebrity of sorts, free of crime. But others knew he was the go to guy for any type of information, for he knew a lot. That made him both valuable and a danger to himself. At nights he was always seen at the Vista Club in downtown Corneria City.

Dmitry's contact had proven to be helpful as Kursed was able to clear security as she entered the planet. Once she was planetside, she found a small hotel for the night, went shopping for clothes and then headed back to her room. She stayed there until nightfall. The entire time not one Cornerian recognized her.

*Once she was dressed she made her way downtown towards the club, which was very hard to miss considering it took almost an entire block. The contact from Polaris also appeared to have pulled some strings with those at the club because it appeared that her name, "Kris", (She couldn't help a small smile at the name despite her annoyed reaction.) was on the list.

She was to meet her contact, named Eve, inside the club and she would lead her to Desmond. Luckily, she had been given a phone with a face recognition app. No one would suspect anything from a young woman flashing around her phone.

As like any club, the music was blasting loud inside and the majority of those there were in the middle of the dance floor. Activating the app, she looked around the entire club, scanning anyone's face she ran into. Most of them came up negative but once she got to the bar, she managed to find her at the table, drinking what looked like some sort of cocktail.

"Eve?" she asked.

"Kursed," Eve replied, taking a sip. "Right this way." Kursed followed Eve to the back where there was security guarding a staircase. "She's here to see Desmond," she said to one of the guards. The guard nodded and stepped aside. Kursed nodded as well in thanks as Eve passed by her and whispered, "Good luck."

She then went upstairs and went to the only door she could see and opened it, not really giving a damn what Desmond or his guards would say. As she went inside, she could see he was "busy" smooth-talking. That timber wolf was always good at smooth talking.

"Now you see, I have the power to go anywhere I please, whenever I want to, just say the word," Desmond was saying. The girl, probably one of the bar girls, noticed Kursed and gasped. Desmond looked and saw her as well. "Ah, well, I guess business is calling me back, just like your shift is too." The girl got up and blew him a kiss before leaving. Desmond then turned to Kursed and had a sly grin on his face. "Such is the life of luxury; you can buy just about anything these days."

"That's a cute girl Desmond," Kursed said. "How long are you going to keep this one?"

"Oh Kursed, you wound me," Desmond replied. "Yes, even with that getup you're hard to miss. I suppose you're here to talk business unless perhaps…"

"Don't flatter yourself," Kursed said sharply. "I'm sure you heard what happened in Macbeth."

"Yes, the poor bastard didn't deserve that," Desmond said with a hint of sorrow. "He would've been better suited for Cornerian politics, least they allow people to vote here."

"And perhaps you know someone by the name of Adamska?"

Desmond's face paled when he heard the name. "Adamska? Shit, he was involved?" He got up and started pacing. "Were you followed here?"

"Followed?" Kursed said, confused.

"Followed, by anyone?" He all of a sudden became nervous, very nervous.

"No, why?"

"Adamska Dezhnyov is a cruel bastard, former military," Desmond replied. "Shit! If I had known sooner I would have-"

"What's going on Desmond?" Kursed asked.

"Word is he's working with some group of bounty hunters, and they're good, really good." He then went up to the window in the back that portrayed the rest of downtown Corneria City. "If they're behind the attack, then it must mean something big is going on. I wish I could help, but they could be anywhere in the system."

Kursed then felt something ominous. Something that was close and just outside that window! "Desmond get away from the window!"

"What-!?" It all happened so fast. Desmond had turned to move but it was too late. The entire area around the window exploded, shooting glass and debris all over the place. The blast knocked Kursed against the door and as she looked up she saw a figure floating outside.

The figure was dressed up head to foot all in armor and floating due to a jetpack. It seemed to acknowledge her presence before taking off as it made a casual wave.

* * *

(A/N: Okay so funny story… I actually could have finished this chapter earlier last week but… the file got erased SO I had to start over so sorry for the wait guys. For the most part I do like this chapter but I'm not going to be saying stuff like this each chapter. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it and I'll see you guys NEXT TIME!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	6. Chapter 5

(A/N: For this beginning part the song I'm using is "Corneria" from Star Fox Assault.)

* * *

Chapter 5

Her ears were ringing as she got up to her feet. The entire window and part of the wall had been completely demolished. She checked Desmond who was crumbled on the ground. No pulse. It seemed that whoever these people were knew that Desmond may start talking. Now she had nothing to go on.

*Kursed could sense his security was coming up and knew this was not going to end well. She quickly put a hand on her gun. The men burst in and quickly surveyed the damage. "What the hell happened!?" one of them yelled. "Did you-?" Before he could pull out his pistol, Kursed had already pulled out hers and fired three shots. Sure, she didn't have to kill them but she had to get out and she was not going to be captured, no matter who it was.

When she left the room, she saw most of the people there had left in a panic but other guards were headed towards her, some with machine guns. She quickly ducked down as her comlink went off. "Kursed, what the hell is going on down there!?" Dmitry said urgently.

"I'm a bit busy at the moment!" Kursed snapped. "An explosion happened, Desmond's dead, and I need to get the hell out of here."

"Well, you might want to do that quickly," Lewis chimed in. "The police have already been called and they're going to be there within minutes."

"_This just gets better and better…" _Kursed groaned as she stood up and took two shots, dropping two of the guards coming her way. She made her way down the stairs as she grabbed one of the machine guns. More were across the room and started opening fire on her, sending glass shards everywhere.

She was already low on ammo, not bringing much since she didn't consider a firefight happening. She then saw a window and realized her best way of getting out. She quickly and jumped out, not quite realizing she was landing into a group of trash cans. She sighed slightly. "Yep, this can only get better…" As a matter of fact it did.

The police could be heard coming down the block but she managed to find a motorcycle nearby, and even better, the person left the keys inside. Kursed smirked as she turned the key and revved up the engine. _"I should consider keeping this…"_ she thought before taking off into the night.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part the song I'm using is "Meteo" from Star Fox 64 3D.)

* * *

About an hour later she was able to sneak off of Corneria and was currently heading into Meteo. Lewis reported in. "Hey Kursed, I did some research on this Adamska guy and what Desmond said checks out. Adamska was former military, stationed on Zoness. He then dropped out of the military after the Lylat Wars, disgusted that the military surrendered Zoness so easily and let it get polluted. After that, he went into mercenary business and you can probably guess the rest."

"He's a skilled marksman, that I can see," Kursed replied. "Question is, what are his motives, and is he acting alone? That person I saw in the club was no doubt another bounty hunter but I didn't recognize him though. Seems he knows me though."

"I checked through the Cornerian database and only two ships had left since the incident: one was a transport shuttle to Venom, and the other was a freighter headed out in the direction you're in."

"So I am on his tail after all," Kursed said. Suddenly, her radar went off. "Hold on, I'm picking something up. Unidentified ships deep in the asteroid field."

"If they're not coming up as Cornerian ships then obviously there's something suspicious here," Dmitry said. "May as well investigate this Kursed, it could be what we're looking for."

*"Copy that," Kursed said. She then activated her targeting system. "It's about time I gave the new girl a test run." She then boosted her thrusters and drifted further into the asteroid field. The blips on her radar got closer and outside she could see small ships heading east. _"They haven't spotted me yet…on second thought, better to go in quietly, if I can." _She activated the cloaking system on her ship and followed the ones in front of her.

She remained at a far enough distance so they wouldn't pick up the heat from her ship. As they went further in, Kursed soon found out where they were headed. There was a base inside the asteroid field, and it looked very familiar to her.

"_This is the very same base the Aparoids created four years ago," _Kursed thought. _"But that doesn't make any sense. This was supposed to be under Cornerian supervision, unless it was abandoned." _Or, more likely, they were forced out of it. Kursed couldn't transmit a message without the risk of being spotted. But how was she going to get inside.

She hovered close to a stationary asteroid and shut off her engines, using her thrusters to stay stationary as well while she contemplated. Before, the base had been merely under construction, but now it looked one hundred percent built, meaning it was completely accessible. So who was the one running it?

Kursed then hovered and landed on one of the stationary asteroids, using the magnetic lock to keep her in place. She then unfastened her straps and opened one of the compartments, a dark grey suit with a small oxygen tank on the back. Whenever a ship's engines, for example, malfunctioned and stopped working, sometimes you can't fix right in the ship. Instead, some of the repairs had to be done outside, and if there wasn't a station nearby, you were out of luck. Also, because of the limited oxygen, the wearer could only be out for about an hour before the tank runs out. Kursed wouldn't need an hour but she was about to do something that, if she didn't do it precisely, would leave her out in space without her ship.

Once her suit was secure and her oxygen flowing freely, she overrode the emergency hatch and opened her canopy. The fact that she was still breathing meant the suit was working fine. The base was about a hundred meters away and the only way to get there was to use the momentum from the asteroids. Gravity was low but it was enough for her to be able to stay footed on the rock, for now.

She spotted the closest one coming at her at a slow pace and using her staff, she pushed from the first asteroid to the next one. She bent her knees as she landed on the next one and looked for the closest rock to the base. There was a decent sized one floating to her left and soon she pushed off again, heading towards it. Using the momentum she already had, she pushed off the last one towards the base. It was a slow trip but finally she managed to reach the outside of the base where the hangar doors where. Unfortunately, they had already closed by the time she got there.

She didn't have to wait long when another ship soon came as the doors opened again. She waited for the ship to pass before going inside. Once she was inside her suit automatically depressurized and she took it off, placing it in a corner.

Looking over the corner of the stack of crates, she saw there was a lot of activity going on. The ships that had just arrived were delivering crates, weapons most likely she was willing to bet. And those soldiers… they definitely looked like the ones she encountered on Macbeth.

"_Okay, they have a base close to Corneria, somehow without their knowledge, and they're bringing in supplies. But what are they up to?"_

She then called Dmitry. "This is Kursed, and you're not going to believe this. The base inside Meteo, it's fully operational and filled with soldiers we saw on Macbeth."

"Hmm…" Dmitry said in thought. "This is certainly troubling. How the hell did Corneria not see this and why did they just abandon it? This isn't making sense at all… If you want I can see if I can get a hold of Corneria."

"Hold off on that for now," Kursed replied. "I'm going to do some snooping around first, see what I can find." After she ended the call, she looked back over. There was no way she was going to be able to get past all of them, but she knew of a way to at least get rid of them, even though once the alarms went off the element of surprise would be gone.

The ship that was dropping off supplies still had its engines running and using her power, she managed to locate where the fuel tank was hidden. She then pulled out her blaster and aiming carefully, took the shot.

She had to duck back down quickly. As soon as the laser struck the ship it exploded, causing crates near it to set off shooting bullets and ammunition everywhere. Luckily the crates she hid behind had nothing in them and were steel. Looking back, the area was covered in debris and flames and the alarms went off almost instantly as the emergency fire sprinklers went off.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Sargasso Space Hideout" from Star Fox Assault.)

* * *

*Most of the soldiers who had been standing there were now incinerated and she quickly made her way towards the elevator. As it closed, she checked her clips. She had three which hopefully would be enough. If she could find a computer, she could find out what exactly was going on in this base.

She had her blaster raised when the doors opened and good thing too because she was soon met with a group of soldiers. They were surprised to see her, and even more when she grabbed one of them, using him as a shield while shooting the others before snapping his neck.

Once it was clear, she looked around for any room with a computer. There was a lab, which some scientists were now abandoning. She entered the room and shot the panel to automatically lock the door. She wasn't great when it came to hacking but she knew someone who was. "Lewis, do you read? I'm at a computer and need some help here."

"Hold on a second, I'm trying to ping your location," Lewis said. "There, got it. Huh. Well, the security on here doesn't seem that bad, I'll see what I can do." Suddenly there was activity on the screen and she wasn't even touching the keyboard. "You're going to have to teach me to do that someday," Kursed commented.

"Maybe later; almost done," Lewis said. "Well what do we have here…?" Suddenly data showed up, showing off equations and pictures of some sort of solution in a vial. That; along with bank statements in the hundreds of thousands.

"They're rather rich for a small organization," Kursed said. "And what's this chemical supposed to be?"

"It's not a chemical, it's DNA," Lewis replied. "They have records of all sorts of people. But why?"

All of a sudden there was a commotion outside as some of the soldiers found her and started banging on the door since the door was locked. "I have to get back to you on that." They then tried shooting the glass but it was made to withstand blaster fire. "Damn it, they got me trapped in here." However, she then noticed the gun turret that was outside. "I have an idea Lewis."

"Don't worry, I already got schematics of the entire base," Lewis replied. "Get ready for the show." He pressed some buttons on his computer and suddenly, the gun's automated sensors picked up the soldiers and it suddenly opened fire on them. "Their security has been completely hacked so no need to worry if you run into anymore turrets."

"I owe you one Lewis," Kursed said as she managed to unlock the doors. Now she had to find another way out since the hangar had been completely trashed. She then went deeper inside the base looking for an exit until she found a room that was completely empty. Strangely empty. She walked slowly until she heard a beeping sound. She looked behind her and looked down, realizing the floor was rigged with explosives. "Oh shit…"

* * *

(A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the long ass wait. School is not being easy on me and I've barely had time to write all this so… yeah! I know this wasn't a grade A chapter but I'll hopefully make up for it. I'll be honest, it may take me longer to post up chapters, just so you know. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you all again soon!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	7. Chapter 6

(A/N: For this part the song I'm using is "A Stranger I Remain (Original Version)" from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.)

* * *

Chapter 6

Somehow, someone rigged the entire floor Kursed was standing on with mines. Of course, if these had been standard mines she would already be dead but someone took pleasure in scaring their prey before killing them. However, the sudden beeping and increase in tempo meant she had to move now!

Kursed ran as quickly as she could towards the next room as the mines starting going off. Unfortunately, the first explosion set off a chain reaction that quickly followed her. Once she was near the door she jumped inside as the door closed behind her. She slowly got to her feet as the ringing in her head died down. The room she was in now was empty except for a number of small tanks nearby, possibly fuel tanks as well as piping.

"So I see you followed me all this way." Kursed quickly pulled out her blaster, looking and pointing in every direction but she saw no one. "That's alright; I suppose I made it too easy for you anyway." The voice was gruff and slightly muffled, confirming this was the bounty hunter on Corneria. It also had a slight accent/

He then made his appearance on the balcony above, still suited up. "Sorry for the mess, I don't usually have guests."

"I can see why," Kursed replied. "So you're the one in charge?"

"Not necessarily," the bounty hunter said. "More like just the one keeping things in order." He then took his helmet off and Kursed saw… long hair.

"Wait… you're a girl?" Kursed didn't see that coming. That, and she was also a Pyrenees.

"_Oui_, of course I am. My name is Aurore." Now her voice was certainly more feminine. "You think anyone would take a female bounty hunter seriously?"

"I'm a female," Kursed replied simply. "And there are plenty of female bounty hunters out there are feared, mostly because most of them are assassins."

"But I'm not the silent killing type." Aurore smiled. "_Non_, I prefer the more chaotic way. In my mind, explosions are more merciful, but of course, depending if one survives, such an explosion they will suffer for the rest of their lives. So it works both ways, depending on who I target."

"And why Desmond? Worried he was going to talk?" Kursed asked.

"Adamska was worried; I just carried out the job," Aurore replied.

"So he really is the leader of the pack huh?"

"Even if I tried to explain it to you, you wouldn't understand," Aurore replied. She then brought up a grenade launcher she had been holding onto. *"But enough talk, we both know why you're here and I could use some target practice and you, Kursed, are just what I need!"

She started shooting off grenades, causing Kursed to back flip and dodge for cover, although there wasn't much to hide behind. "I wouldn't stay still for too long Kursed!"

"_She's rigged the floor again. That bitch is more insane than I thought, but perhaps I could use this to my advantage." _Kursed had to move quickly before one of the mines went off. She also knew Aurore would have to reload and that would be her opportunity.

"Can't run for long!" Aurore taunted her. "_Merde_, need to reload." And that was her opportunity. Kursed then took one of her grenades and launched it at the support. It soon went off, causing the balcony to collapse. Aurore shrieked as the entire thing collapsed but her armor absorbed much of the fall. Kursed then brought out her staff and attacked. She may have had armor but every bit of armor had its weak points. She attacked with fierce intensity, striking blows at her legs, sides, and head if she could. But Aurore was skilled too, and Kursed wasn't aware until she saw a flamethrower appear out of her wrist. She moved back as quick as she could but winced as she felt some of her fur get singed off, although thankfully not in an obvious spot.

"I'll admit that was clever," Aurore growled. "But stupid as well, since you've backed yourself into a corner." She may have thought that, but Kursed already had a plan in motion, although it was subject to backfiring.

"It's too bad having to kill a fellow bounty hunter but it's all business," Aurore said. Suddenly she fired off one of her wrist rockets. Kursed however expected this and moved out of the way at the last second before it struck one of the tanks, which just happened to contain liquid nitrogen. Aurore realized her mistake too late. "Oh _mer_-!" She was then completely covered in ice, frozen solid.

Kursed then pulled out her blaster. "Right, just business." She then pulled the trigger and Aurore's frozen body completely shattered into pieces. Now that she had been dealt with, it was time to get out of there.

"Kursed, are you alright?" Dmitry's voice suddenly articulated in her ear.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kursed replied. "Found that bounty hunter we were looking for."

"I know. Aurore Faure," Dmitry said. "When she was younger she lived on Corneria with her parents who were scientists. One day her father somehow accidentally created a chemical reaction that destroyed the entire building, killing everyone plus him and his wife. Aurore somehow survived and that was the introduction to her passion. Of course, later on it was discovered it hadn't been an accident but a set up. When Aurore found out she hunted down those who were responsible and instead of just killing them, she planted explosives on them, blowing off hands and legs, making them suffer until they finally bled to death. That was when she became a bounty hunter."

"I guess we're all a little fucked up in the head…" Kursed replied. "I'm heading back."

"No need," Dmitry replied. "We just got a new report. I'll brief you on the way there but you'll be heading to Zoness next."

* * *

(A/N: Okay, I know this is shorter than most chapters but I felt like instead of continuing I'd save the next part for the next chapter. I apologize but I promise next one will be full length, whatever my definition for that is. So I hope you enjoyed the little bit of action and I'll see you guys all later.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Have you ever heard of the codename Leviathan?" Dmitry asked.

"I've heard the name back when I was with Cornerian Command," Kursed replied. "But not much else."

"Leviathan was the name of a failed experiment created by Andross during the Lylat Wars," Dmitry explained. "He had it deployed on Zoness but… something went wrong. The bioweapon, instead of attacking, went dormant and is said to have gone to the bottom of the ocean, wherever that is. I think you know where I'm going with this."

"Our friends are trying to bring a bioweapon back to life and destroy everything on Zoness," Kursed replied. "They really are anarchists if they're willing to go this far."

"It seems that is what Eclipse's plans are."

"Eclipse? Is that what they're calling themselves?" Kursed asked. "Surely they don't have cheesy motto following that title?"

"Not that I know of, but they finally decided to surface and claim responsibility on Macbeth," Dmitry replied. "Oddly, Corneria has yet to respond."

"_I know…k new Peppy well and he wouldn't let any political bullshit get in his way," _she thought. "General Hare is probably going to embark on a witch hunt for these guys. Anyway, Dmitry, before I head to Zoness I need to take care of a few things, make a few calls. It's important."

"I understand, do what you have to do," Dmitry replied. He ended the transmission right after.

Kursed stopped slightly, pondering her next decision. She then put in a transmission code that she hadn't used for over two years. _"I hope she's still there…"_

She didn't have to wait long before a voice responded to her call. _"This is Simmons."_

Kursed smiled. "Hey Nicki, it's been a while hasn't it?"

There was a pause and she heard something drop in the background. _"Krystal, is that you!?" _The volume in her voice suggested she was whispering now.

"Yeah…" Funny how someone could say your old name and you could hardly recognize it. "Sorry it's been a while but I need a favor from you."

"_I…sure, no problem Krys, you know you can always ask us for help. Once a Cornerian pilot, always a Cornerian pilot."_

Kursed grinned, remembering the motto most of the pilots used. After her removal from the Star Fox team four years ago, she had little choice at the time of where to go and decided to enlist as a pilot for the Cornerian Air Force. The group she worked with took her in without question and were like a second family to her. Of course, this was before Panther had reached out to her and offered her a spot as part of Star Wolf. That was of course months after she joined but even now she regretted that decision, for it completely tainted her image, inside and out of the military.

"Still happen to have my ship?" she asked.

"_Your ship?" _Simmons asked. _"Yes, it should still be on Katina on lockdown. You know, they'll never use that ship for spare parts but no one has been reassigned to it. Probably from all the upgrades you put to it."_

"And it didn't cost me a fortune either," Kursed replied. "I need it for something important; don't worry it's short-term. Can I count on you to get it done?"

Simmons scoffed jokingly. _"Please Krys, I have my way of bending the red tape around here. I can have someone at the base load it out for you and make sure it's primed and ready. I'm assuming you're keeping the _Cloud Runner _here as well."_

"Short-term like I said, but tell your buddies not a scratch."

"_Will do. I can even get you reinstated if you need it but whatever you have to do I'd do it quickly."_

"You always were the smart one Nicki."

"_Naturally." _She then paused. _"We do miss you though, and we could care less of the bullshit people are saying. You're still a hero no matter who you work with."_

"_Still a hero…"_ She'd love to think that but Kursed was someone different. Sure she still took care of bad people, but she would be willing to kill five people in order to save millions, if that were the scenario. Krystal would try to save everyone if she could. "I know. I'll… think about it perhaps. I just hope the group hasn't slacked off without me."

"_Not at all."_

"Good. Then I'll be heading to Katina right away… Krystal out." Kursed sat back and smiled. Veronica Simmons… you don't get many like her in the military.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Zoness" from Star Fox 64 3D.)

* * *

It felt strange being in another ship, especially one that she hadn't piloted for two years, but it still handled well and thankfully no one had taken anything out of it. It wasn't the _Cloud Runner_ but it was still a good ship, one she was proud to call her own.

*As she made her descent into Zoness, it wasn't long before she was picked up by a patrol. Two other Cornerian fighters, which by now was a standard model of ship for most planets, flew behind her and soon she got an incoming transmission. _"Pilot, what is your identification number?"_

"ID number 4597921," Kursed replied.

There was a slight pause. _"Alright that checks out, what brings you out here? You were stationed out at Katina?"_

"Recently transferred to this part of the universe," Kursed explained. "It's probably not on file yet."

"_Fair enough. You've been granted access to dock at Hanger C-18. Make sure you sign in at customs."_

"Yeah, like that's going to happen," Kursed muttered after the transmission ended. The two other ships flew off and Kursed was treated to seeing the crisp blue ocean that covered all of Zoness. Years ago she remembered being told Zoness had been turned into a dump and it looked as if the planet would be doomed. However, Cornerian and Zoness officials worked diligently to clean up the pollutions and their efforts were rewarded.

Everything seemed calm but Leviathan was done there somewhere. If anyone went down beneath the ocean, deep enough to transmit a signal, that is all what was needed to wake the bioweapon up. She was then given coordinates to the hangar and soon landed.

While she had been on Katina, Kursed was also able to get her old uniform and equipment back as well. But before she had landed, she had to make a few alterations to her appearance, which included cutting her hair back to her original length and taking out her contact lenses. She was starting to look like Krystal again…

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Manaan (Ahto City) from Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic.)

* * *

*She then opened her canopy and got out. Her uniform and helmet felt almost new to her, but it gave her a comfortable feeling. She had no regrets being in the Cornerian military and for once, she didn't feel like a bounty hunter but instead an actual soldier.

She made her way into the city which to no surprise was bumbling with activity. All of the cities and ports on Zoness were established above water and because of the city's size, the only modes of transportation were buses and shuttles to leave the planet. As big as the city was, one was able to get around easily by foot.

Many of the people who passed by her either tipped their hat or bowed their head slightly in respect. Kursed had other things on her mind than walking the streets or going shopping. "Alright Dmitry, I'm here so where to start first?"

"North of your position there's a base that goes underwater, that'll be where they have the subs, but access is highly restricted," Dmitry responded.

"However, I can hack into the system and cause a momentary glitch that'll unlock the entire system," Lewis replied. "Just give me the word when."

"There is one other thing," Dmitry added. "There's someone you need to meet, although actually you met her briefly on the ship. You remember Catherine?"

She did remember Catherine. To be honest, her first impression of her reminded her of Lucy, although Catherine was somewhat younger. Unfortunately, the comparison made her feel a bit of guilt. "Yeah I remember Catherine all too well."

"It's good to see you again too Kursed," Catherine replied, taking over the channel. "But really, _Kursed_? Couldn't you have picked a name that doesn't make people cringe?"

Kursed rolled her eyes. "That's the idea Cat. So what do you need?"

"Well, Dmitry has assigned me to look over you, in this case anything that would pose a risk to you out in the battlefield. You do realize your stress levels are rather high, don't you?"

"It's my mind's way of keeping me alert. Not to mention dodging explosives can do that to you."

"And you do realize it could hamper your reflexes? Not to mention if you get shot your heart will beat more blood out of you."

Kursed groaned. "I am aware of all that but I'll be fine. You want me to take yoga or something?"

"I'm just trying to help you out," Catherine replied. "You'll probably thank me someday… but yes yoga could help."

Now that she thought about it, it had been a while since she meditated. "What about meditation?"

"Now we're talking." It was agreed then, but after this mission. She had forgotten that in less than a day she had almost been blown up twice. A nice day's sleep will cure that for sure.

After about ten minutes she finally made it to the base. There were no guards but there was a console at the door, no doubt asking for identification. "Alright, I'm here."

"Just give me a few seconds…" Lewis replied as he made his way into the military's systems. "And to think I could've done some good if Corneria had hired me… There. It'll only last a few seconds and hopefully no one will pick up on it."

Kursed then walked to the door and it opened automatically for her. She was in, but getting down to the bottom floor would be a slight challenge. At least if she was spotted she could pass off as security. She walked down the hallway but it was empty, which was rather strange. In fact, other than the slight hum of the air conditioning unit, she couldn't hear anything else. She then pulled out her blaster and opened one of the nearby doors.

There was slight blood splatter on the walls and two bodies on the ground, male and female, both in uniform. "Shit. Dmitry, they beat me here. They didn't want to leave any witnesses and I don't think anyone knows what happened."

"Alright, send them a message and proceed carefully. They could a full team down there."

Kursed didn't bother checking the other rooms. She was feeling pain and anger at the same time. This wasn't a firefight, it was assassination. Terrorism. Whoever this Eclipse was, they had no regard for preventing deaths. They weren't anarchists, they were terrorists.

She was near the elevators when something caught her eye. One of the guards apparently didn't go down without a fight and he took one of their comrades with him. As she expected, same military attire. She saw the 12-gauge shotgun lying next to him and went over to pick it up. She checked the chamber. At least eight shells were in there. She then took the ammo he had sticking out of his pocket and cocked the gun, an empty shell flying out. "I'll put this to good use, I promise."

She then pushed the button nearby and the elevator doors opened. She then entered before the doors closed and then the elevator plunged down below sea level.

* * *

(A/N: Hey guys, surprised to see me so soon? Probably not. I actually started and finished this today because for once I had the drive to do it so yay for me. I hope this as well as the next few chapters make up for before, but I doubt you guys really care, which is fine too. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you guys again soon. Also, I'll try to work on Digimon but right now that's a secondary story I'm doing, just so you know.)

FoxMcCloud7921


	9. Chapter 8

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "I'm My Own Master Now" from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.)

* * *

Chapter 8

As the elevators opened, Kursed was greeted to a room that was pitch black, save for a single light that was flickering on and off. Her grip tightened slightly as she stepped forward, her boots echoing off the walls loudly. Her foot then hit something and as she looked down she suddenly turned her head away, closing her eyes.

It was a security guard, or what was left of him. Someone, or something, had completely ripped him to shreds, literally. She could see blood splatter as well as more bodies on the ground. It was a killing floor, and Kursed realized none of the intruders could have done this, and studying the damage, it could have been caused a saw or something similar.

Something in her head spiked and she realized she was not alone, but she also noticed whatever was in the room didn't have a heartbeat. "There's no point in hiding, I already you're in here."

"_You were able to notice my presence…that is… impressive." _The artificial voice confirmed her thoughts. Most soldiers didn't have the stomach to slaughter, but machines had no such feelings. _"But just how good your reflexes are will be put to the test…"_

Kursed heard and saw the attack coming. She moved out of the way just as a blade, which was actually a chainsaw attacked to some sort of cord slashed in the position she was just in. _"What the hell is this thing…?" _she thought to herself.

The thing decided to reveal itself. What surprised Kursed was that the robot was a quad pedal and it resembled a wolf. *_"I am IQ7921 and my sole objective is to eliminate you, codenamed Kursed. Prepare yourself for your execution."_

Kursed had to dodge again as the chainsaw came back, which then appeared to be connected to its back. The robot also appeared to be quick as it moved around in the room, hiding in the shadows. What it didn't know was that Kursed, being Cerinian, was able to track his every moment.

"_Do you not realize you are interfering with plans for freedom?" _IQ7921 asked.

"Freedom?" Kursed scoffed. "What would an AI know about freedom?"

"_Your insults have no influence on me. I was created for the sole purpose to enforce punishment on the ones who oppress orders."_

"And slaughter is the answer?"

"_All revolutions spill blood."_

"All you're doing is following orders," Kursed retorted. "If you cannot choose for yourself, or be able to distinguish right from wrong, then you are never free."

"_Perhaps you are right." _Suddenly, the wolf jumped forward, catching her off guard and knocking her down, the shotgun the only thing protecting her. _"But even free beings have to follow orders." _The saw came down but Kursed was able to knock the machine off of her time before her head was sawed in two.

The wolf pounced for another attack and it was like time had suddenly slowed down. Kursed raised the shotgun and fired a shell, and then another. The first shot knocked the machine back and the second seemed to be the kill shot. The machine crumpled and let out what sounded like a whimper before shutting down.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Vs. Zoness" from Star Fox Assault.)

* * *

Kursed let out a sigh as she relaxed. She then pressed the button on her Commlink. "Dmitry, the base is a huge damn mess and I found the culprit, or at least one of them. Think you can get someone down here to pick him up? It's an AI unit like I've never seen."

"They'll be on their way shortly," Dmitry replied. "Are we too late?"

"May be, I already sent out an alert to Command here, I just hope we're not too late to stop this thing."

*Kursed continued further into the underground base until she saw a small hanger that connected to the water below. There were no subs to be found, meaning they had to have taken off already. If this was true, she only had minutes before Leviathan would be awakened. All it needed was a ping to restart its programming. Kursed made a dash back to the elevator, heading back to above ground.

Once she made her way out of the base, the scene had changed into chaos as alarm sirens began to drone throughout the city. No doubt other parts of the planet were the same. However, getting back to her ship would be a challenge, since she had to move this way and that through the large crowd of upset citizens. In her helmet, there was constant comm. channel as the military was focused on evacuating all citizens. She on the other hand was going to put an end to this bioweapon once and for all. When she got to the hangar, she found her ship and quickly jumped in, activating the startup sequence.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the songs I'm using is "Oikonny Strikes" from Star Fox Command and then "Fly By Night" from Halo Reach.)

* * *

Once she cleared the hangar, she quickly went out to sea, but nothing was coming up on her radar. All she could do now was wait. She then notice activity below as the water began to bubble, about five hundred meters from the city. *Leviathan then revealed itself, its description true to its name. The serpent was completely covered in armor and as far as she could see, there were no weak points. _"That thing could level the entire city by size alone," _she thought. _"I need to keep it distracted long enough until help arrives." _She dove in, firing her lasers at it but to no surprise the lasers reflected off the armor. She did, however, get its attention. "That's right, go after the annoying little ship," she muttered.

Leviathan soon followed and opened its mouth. Kursed's ship suddenly set off an alarm stating a large energy force was building off behind her. The laser immediately shot off and she was able to dodge it, although part of her wing got hit. Luckily, the upgraded armor prevented her wing getting chipped off, although if she were hit again, she would not be so lucky.

She had bombs, but she remembered the quote Peppy always used to tell her. She would save them for when things were most dire. However, she decided to see the impact one could do to this thing. Her results were disappointing, although she was able to slightly puncture through the armor. She didn't have the capacity to take this thing on her own.

*Suddenly, another explosion occurred, causing the bioweapon to screech in pain. "This is Tango Leader. Pilot, were you authorized to attack this thing on your own?"

Kursed responded. "Negative, but I gave Command enough time to actually do their job and send help. You are willing to help a lady out no?"

"I could never say no to a lady," Tango leader replied, chuckling. "Tango Squadron is here to help, just tell us what to do."

Kursed then saw that Leviathan was changing its course. That was the good news. The bad news was that it was changing course, and if they lost it now, all cities on Zoness would be in danger. "Bombs seem effective of a short. But if we bombard this sucker we might be able to break through that armor."

"Affirmative. Hang on tight pilot, you're going to be riding with Tango Squadron. Alright fellas, move into position!" The six Cornerian fighters moved into a delta formation and shot downwards as Kursed formed up on the wing. Leviathan was aware of their formation and was charging up another attack. "Open fire!" The seven ships locked on and fired their payload. Leviathan was caught up in multiple explosions and when the smoke cleared away parts of its armor was stripped away and underneath was what looked like tissue.

"Aw look at that, without his armor he's just a regular worm," one of the pilots commented. Worm or not, it needed to die.

"Now let's give him a proper sendoff," Tango Leader replied. "Give our regards to Andross you piece of shit!" The seven ships then opened fire on the now defenseless bioweapon and soon a chain reaction occurred. The ships quickly retreated before Leviathan exploded, leaving nothing behind except a large fireball.

* * *

(A/N: For this last part, the song I'm using is "Mission Complete" from Star Fox 64 3D.)

* * *

*"Well, all in a good day's work," Tango Leader said. "Command, this is Tango Leader. Enemy has been destroyed and the city is safe."

"Copy that Tango," Command replied. "You got a whole city that wishes to thank you."

"Roger that. After this, drinks are me ladies and gentlemen."

There were plenty of whoops and hollers across the channel but Kursed stayed silent. The six ships took off, almost as if they forgot about her. "Hmph, not even a proper thank you," she grumbled. Still, it was kind of nice being part of a group again, even though it was short-term.

It was a victory, but those who had caused destruction in the base and awakened Leviathan were probably off planet by now. But that was going to have to be for another day. "Well, it's all over now," she said. "I'm heading back."

"Our team has just left as well, you can hook up with them once you get off-planet," Dmitry replied. He seemed concerned. "You alright?"

"Just… tired," Kursed replied. "I'm not one to sleep on the job, but I haven't gotten any rest for the past twenty-four hours."

"I understand, take all the time you need," Dmitry said. "We'll take a look at your little friend in the meantime."

Once the broadcast was terminated, Kursed lounged back in her chair and sighed. She then set her coordinates back to Katina and switched to autopilot. "I'm just not paid enough for this…" she said as she closed her eyes.

* * *

"_Well?"_

"_We were able to reactivate Leviathan but the air force was able to take it out."_

"_No doubt Kursed contributed as well. She's becoming more of a nuisance than I thought."_

"_How would you like me to deal with her?"_

"_Adam, deal with her by any means necessary. All I ask is to _contain the situation._"_

"_Don't worry, she suspects nothing for now, and I've been able to do some looking up on her. I'll deal with her personally."_

"_Just remember that. She cannot find out."  
_

* * *

(A/N: Hello friends, I hope I didn't keep you all waiting too long. As you can see, the plot thickens, but how so and is someone else pulling the strings? Well, you'll just have to stay tuned to find out.))

FoxMcCloud7921


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Kursed woke again to the sound of the engines humming in the distance. She was in her room that was given to her by Polaris, and when she looked at the clock she groaned slightly. It was three o'clock in the afternoon, local time. She had been asleep for over thirteen hours. Still, she felt refreshed and got up, realizing she still had her attire on from before.

After washing her face and finding a protein bar from her bag, she then went down to the main floor where Dmitry and Catherine were located. "Ah, the lady finally awakes," Dmitry said with a grin. Kursed wasn't in the mood for a comment so she casually waved him off. "It's good that you're awake, we just intercepted a message from an Eclipse transmission."

"Anything interesting?" Kursed asked as she unwrapped her bar and bit into it.

"Not particularly, but we were able to pinpoint the location and you're going to love this: there's a base on Fichina."

"Lovely…" Kursed muttered. "I'll make sure to dress warm then. So what's the game plan?"

"Lewis is working on a program that will infiltrate Eclipse's network and uncover all their files, everything that they're up to," Catherine replied. "Although I like to call it a virus since when the program is done it'll crash the entire network."

"He'll get more into details when he's finished fixing up our new friend," Dmitry replied.

"New friend…?" Kursed asked. "No… you don't mean-

The doors to the lab opened and Lewis came out, accompanied by the AI unit she encountered on Zoness, IQ7921. "There, he's all patched up, good as new." He then saw Kursed's face. "Uh… you said she wasn't going to be upset."

"Yeah Dmitry, I think I'm owed an explanation," Kursed said sourly.

"This unit was working with Eclipse, and he knows the ins and outs of their organization," Dmitry said. "Now he's with us."

"So you just reprogrammed him to join our side?" Kursed said heatedly.

"Actually, there was a chip inside him that restricted what you would call his free will," Lewis said. "So there was no reprogramming needed to be done. We actually had a nice chat."

"_Eclipse did not believe an AI with a free will was…good for their plans," _IQ7921 said. _"I will be willing to assist you in anyway I can."_

"You know, despite the armor and chainsaw, he's kind of adorable," Catherine said.

IQ7921 tilted his slightly in confusion. _"…Adorable? That is a word I am not usually complimented with."_

"I think he needs his own name," Lewis added. "I thought it appropriate for you to name him Kursed, since he's going to be your new partner."

"_Partner…great…"_ Kursed thought. "I already came up with one for him." She then looked to him. "How about Blade?"

"_Blade…" _The AI pondered for a moment. _"A reference to my primary weapon…It is fitting though."_

"Then Blade it is," Kursed stated. "All I can say is hope your circuits don't freeze easily."

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Fichina Overworld Map 1" from Star Fox Command.)

* * *

The _Cloud Runner _made its descent into Fichina, met sharply with the wind and snow that was blowing all over the place and fogging up her visibility. Lewis had given her the coordinates of the base, and she landed about five clicks from that location. She opened her canopy and was met with the cold wind as the compartment door opened as well and Blade emerged. The sun was slowly making its descent, giving enough light for Kursed to see where she was going.

Kursed's jumpsuit was covered with the long white winter coat she had on as well as a hat that covered her ears. She had prepared well because it was well below freezing. _"I'm going to scout out ahead," _Blade stated. With that he took off. Her commlink then beeped. _"If you need anything, my radio frequency is synced to your commlink."_

"We may as well talk since we got quite the walk," Kursed said as she started forward. "I know our last encounter didn't quite end so well."

"_I have no such grudge against that," _Blade replied. _"However, the tone in your voice represents your distrust of me."_

"It's nothing personal; I just know that machines can easily be manipulated," Kursed said. "How do I know Eclipse won't try to turn you to their side again?"

"_The one named Lewis made sure that won't happen again," _Blade replied. _"And even if they tried, I won't let them."_

Kursed smiled. "Now you're starting to sound less like a machine."

*There was a hillside up ahead and once she met up with Blade on the top, she saw it led down into a small valley and there she saw the base. She pulled out her pair of electrobinoculars and scanned the area. There was a lone guard outside the entrance and multiple cameras along the perimeter. "You seeing what I'm seeing Blade?"

"_There are multiple cameras around the perimeter of the base and a lone guard. He has been looking at his watch repeatedly for the last fifteen minutes, meaning that the guard post shifts every one or two hours."_

"Then we'll have just enough time before his friend relieves him," Kursed replied. She then pulled off the sniper rifle strapped to her shoulder. "Alright Lewis I made it; are you sure this will work?"

"Of course I'm sure," Lewis replied. "It may look like a bullet but it won't damage the cameras at all. Once it makes contact, I can cause a full hour loop, no one inside will suspect anything."

"This is all riding on you Lewis, remember that," Kursed warned. She then turned off the safety and peered down the scope. She was able to locate a camera that wasn't too close to the guard, and hopefully the wind will muffle out the sound of the shot as well. She held her breath for a moment and fired. The device was fired and then latched onto the camera. Kursed waited until Lewis gave her the green light.

"Alright, program installed," Lewis replied. "You may fire when ready."

Kursed looked back to the guard. As she had guessed, he suspected nothing and soon another guard came out to relieve him. How unfortunate for him. Kursed waited another few minutes before she took the shot. It was a clean shot and the guard was killed instantaneously. She then got up, leaving the rifle behind. "I'm going in alone. Let me know if anything comes up."

"_Affirmative."_

Kursed made her way down the hill and soon reached the entrance. She then took the guard's badge and scanned it, allowing her entry. Her next objective was blending in with security. She'd take the dead guy's uniform but the slight blood splatter would give her away immediately, and she wasn't a fan of taking clothes off dead guys.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Cold Memories" from Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.)

* * *

As she went inside, she went into the shadows, listening. At least she wouldn't have to worry about the cameras. There had to be a locker room somewhere nearby. Luckily, the designer of this fine base decided to add signs marking where everything was. Kursed wasn't sure if there were female guards here but she wasn't going to waste time thinking about it.

She ditched her coat and hat and stealthily made her way down towards the locker room, slipping inside. She looked around until she found a locker with a uniform inside. Oddly, she could hear a shower running as well. Another unfortunate guard.

She was about to pull out the uniform when she heard footsteps. "Hands up and turn around slowly," a voice said. Kursed rolled her eyes as she slowly rose up her hands and turned around. "Easy now…" She saw her friend was a boxer wearing the same uniform and cap as the other guards.

She then noticed something and smiled. "You don't even have the safety turned off, rookie," she said, taking a step forward.

"Easy! I'm a three-year vet," he said quickly. However, he then took his eyes off her and looked at his gun.

That was when Kursed made her move. She grabbed the gun out of his grip and threw him to the ground. With a loud groan he was knocked unconscious. "How the hell did you survive for three years?" Kursed asked as she checked the rifle's clip before snapping it back into the chamber.

She then put on the uniform and cap and gripped her rifle before looking into the mirror. _"Hm, not quite my style but it'll do."_ She then left the locker room and made her way deeper into the base.

She certainly didn't stand out when she saw other personnel but thought it odd most were carrying rifles. She soon found the control room and went inside, where an Aussie was leaning back in his chair. Her entrance must have either startled him or woke him up because he jolted in his seat. "C-Can I help you?" he asked.

Kursed needed him out of here. "I'm here to relieve you for… your dinner break."

"Well it's about time," the Aussie replied getting up. "Sure hope they have the Tuesday special tonight…"

Kursed sat down in the chair. "Alright Lewis I'm here, what next?"

"Plug the USB into a drive and I'll take care of the rest," Lewis replied.

She then plugged it in. "How long will this take?"

"Only a few minutes at most."

"And the crashing?"

"I set a delay of two minutes on it so by the time it goes off you'll be somewhere else hopefully," Lewis replied. "Just try to get out of there while you have the opportunity."

"If we can get a hold of their files Eclipse is done for," Kursed stated. "Blade, how are things on your end?"

"_No recent activity to report. The guard is still out here dead."_

"Good, let them find that out at the end." She waited a few more moments before Lewis spoke again.

"Alright, it's done, the files have been collected. They're encrypted but we'll worry about that later," Lewis said. "Now's a good time to get out of there."

Kursed made her way back to the entrance but saw an accumulation of guards nearby. "Damn it, if I got out they'll see the body. Blade, are there any alternative exits?"

"_There is one northeast from your position."_

Kursed then headed in that direction. She then found herself in an empty hallway, too empty for her liking. She slowly walked, knowing something was wrong. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the laser of a gun point at her and then moved out of the way. But not fast enough as she heard the rifle go off and pain suddenly shoot into her left shoulder. She hid behind one of the walls, gasping slightly as the pain intensified. The bullet was stuck in her shoulder. Soon guards showed up, pointing their guns at her. Kursed then realized the whole thing had been a set-up, a plan to lure her in.

She heard footsteps approaching and from behind a corner another figure appeared, wearing a long white trench coat and carrying a rifle, the same one that shot at her. She also noticed the sniper was a female wolf almost resembling Wolf O'Donnell without his eye patch.

"Impressive," the sniper said with a thick accent. "Most targets aren't able to dodge my shots so easily. Of course, I wasn't really trying to kill you. Adamska wants you alive but he'll be a bit upset about the damage report."

"Who the hell are you?" Kursed said. "Another bounty hunter?"

"Hmph, I am not but I am indeed a hunter," the wolf said. "My concern isn't the money, but the ones I'm hunting." She then leaned down and put a hand under Kursed's chin, studying her slightly. "And you will certainly make decent prey." She then got up. "Take her to Adamska. He'll deal with her."

The last thing Kursed saw was a rifle butt aimed straight for her head.

* * *

(A/N: Yep, Kursed got caught. Not much of a surprise there is it? Eh, we all love suspense. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you all again soon!)

FoxMcCloud7921


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"_You could've gone a little bit easier on her instead of trying to give her a concussion…"_

"_I brought her in one piece, isn't that what you wanted?"_

"_I didn't want a damn bullet in her. She still may be of use. You and your stupid sniper games."_

"_Fine then, have your little chat with her. She's coming to. If she proves not to be of use, well, I'll deal with her personally."_

Kursed was finally coming to. Her vision was still blurry but she was starting to figure out her surroundings. She was in a small room, for the most part vacant. She then felt the pain in her shoulder and went to grab it… only to realize she was tied.

"Easy now," the familiar voice said. Kursed looked over and saw that it was Adamska. "I managed to get the bullet out and stitch the wound, so I wouldn't do too much moving around."

Kursed still wasn't all there, but she managed to ask, "Why did you help me? Having me dead would be the thorn out of your side."

"Because I don't want you dead, that is, if you're willing to hear me out," Adamska replied.

"On what?" Kursed asked.

"I think we both need each other," Adamska replied. "We can help each other out."

"What, work you and Eclipse?" Kursed asked. "I thought I made my message clear: I may be a bounty hunter but I don't work with scum, especially anarchists."

"You really think I work with Eclipse?" Adamska asked. "Yes, I guess you were supposed to think that." He looked back towards the door for a moment before peering back. "Very well the truth then. I was never _truly_ working for Eclipse. None of us are, although it may look like that. Realize I let you download those files and I was the one who brought you here. The truth is, Corneria used me as a mole to get into their ranks. Not very difficult considering I fit the profile of a disillusioned soldier, but of course I had to earn their trust. The events on Macbeth were enough to do that."

"So you killed an innocent man in cold blood for absolutely no reason?" Kursed asked. "And Corneria knew this!?"

"I'm not saying it was their idea but they had to stay on the sidelines," Adamska replied. "As for him, he would've ended the same as all the others, they always do. Macbeth is a cesspool of greed and corruption, always has been, always will be."

"So you know who's behind all this?" Kursed asked.

"Not exactly," Adamska said. "The one who keeps calling me has never given me his name, but I know it's not just him. Eclipse is everywhere as far as we know but eventually I will have to break my ties with them."

"And then what?" Kursed asked. "And how do I fit in all this?"

"You are the one factor Eclipse did not realize," Adamska replied. "They know you're a danger to them and they will come after you soon enough. Now, if I am to earn your trust…" He then pulled a pocket knife and Kursed flinched slightly but then he went behind her and cut the rope binding her. "Now would an actual associate of Eclipse do that?"

Kursed got up and rubbed her wrists. "I suppose I should thank you for getting that bullet out. Who the hell is that crazy bitch?"

"Ah, you mean Natalya," Adamska replied with a bit of a smirk. "She's not crazy just… cold, like this planet. She had a rough childhood, her parents were murdered shortly after the Lylat Wars. She doesn't like to talk about it as you may guess and her skill is incredible, but not as incredible as the fact that you actually made her miss."

"_Wouldn't exactly call it a miss…" _she thought grudgingly. "So what exactly is your goal?"

"There will be a war soon, only most won't even know its taking place," Adamska said as he overlooked what turned out to be Kursed's blaster and commlink. "As for me, I want no part, but in the end whoever comes out the victor will find us. I'll need an army, one that includes soldiers who are sick and tired of the bureaucratic bullshit." He then handed Kursed her commlink and then pointed her blaster at her for a moment before turning it over so the handle was facing her. "So…what do you say?"

Kursed grabbed the gun and looked him straight in the eye. "You may be right about the future… but it's not my fight." She then took the blaster and pistol-whipped him against his temple, knocking him out immediately.

She then reinserted the commlink into her ear. "Lewis, you there?"

"There you are!" Lewis exclaimed. "What happened, it's been at least two hours?"

"Had a bit of a road-block to get past," Kursed replied. "I need a favor real quick. I need info on a bounty hunter named Natalya." There was silence on the other end. "Lewis?"

"Did you say… Natalya?" Lewis asked.

"Yeah?" Kursed said, a bit confused. "…Do you know this woman?" The pause on the other end was all she needed. "You do… look, I don't care about details but she's the only thing standing between me and getting off this planet."

"I…" There was a sigh on the other end. "Yes, I did know her, before she became who she is now. We went to the Academy together. She was from a small village from some planet just outside of the Lylat System. She wanted to become a soldier, to symbolize her planet and their allegiance to Corneria. She was very nice and we… had a relationship at one point. But then one day she… disappeared. I only found out later that her entire village was killed in a horrible massacre, although it was never said who was involved, perhaps pirates. I never saw her again, although looking through Polaris files her name had come up a few times and I found out what she became. Now she fights for no one but herself."

"Maybe not just herself…" Kursed muttered. "I'm sorry Lewis, I didn't know."

"Just… if you can save her do so but… if not…"

"I know," Kursed replied. "I'll do what I can but… no guarantees…"

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Fichina Overworld Map 3" from Star Fox Command.)

* * *

Now she had to make her escape. "Blade, is that exit still open?"

"_Affirmative, but you'll be encountering hostiles along the way," _Blade replied.

"All in a day's work," Kursed said as she checked the magazine in her blaster before leaving. She was doing well until she got past the second hallway and one of the guards saw her."

*"Hey sto-!" He didn't get to finish his sentence since a laser bolt went straight through him and he fell to the floor. No doubt more would be coming so she made a bolt to the exit. More were on her tail as the sounds of gunfire erupted behind her.

But she didn't turn back; she couldn't turn back. She kept going as the exit neared. Two more guards appeared in front of her and she fired two shots, taking them out. She then saw the control panel in front and stuck a grenade onto it before going through the door.

The blast soon erupted, frying the panel and engaging the emergency lockdown, which closed the doors from the inside. She caught her breath in the cold air and immediately she started shivering. However, she felt a disturbance that momentarily distracted her. She was then being contacted by an unknown frequency. She then clicked the button on her commlink and answered.

"Nice of you to finally come out," Natalya's accented voice said to her. "I'm close nearby Kursed…"

"You know, a good sniper doesn't give away her location," Kursed shot back.

Natyla chuckled. "Very good point, but I doubt you will find me so easily. Look around you: the dark of night, trees, and snow, all good for camouflage."

"All of which can be turned against you if you're not careful," Kursed replied. "Look, it doesn't have to end like this. I know-"

"You know nothing!" Natyla snapped. "You want to know what really happened? Yes, my parents were murdered, but it was not by pirates. No, my parents were killed in cold blood by Cornerian soldiers."

Kursed's eyes widened. "That's… impossible… why would-?"

"Shortly after the Lylat Wars ended, Venomian soldiers were on the run, trying to escape from capture. Some of them found refuge on my planet. Naturally, the people in my village did not take sides and believed no matter what side, help should be given to those in need. The soldiers themselves were very kind, different from the propaganda I was used to seeing. Then one day, Cornerian forces stormed into our village, demanding us to give up the soldiers. My parents, as well as everyone else, refused because those soldiers were ordered against their will to fight or be killed otherwise. They had no weapons to fight with, but then… they just started shooting. Days later I returned to my village and saw the carnage… these were good people who had done nothing wrong but stand up for what was right. So you tell me Kursed, do you really think you're fighting for the right people?" Kursed was silent. "No, I didn't think you'd be able to answer that. When I was younger, there was this story my mother always used to tell me, a folk tale about a wolf hunting a fox. The wolf spent months, years trying to catch this one particular fox, but he always managed to slink his way out, even as he was close to death. Eventually it became a game to both, just like the game we're about to play."

"Perhaps you didn't hear the entire story," Kursed replied. "As the years passed on, both of them grew older until the wolf no longer had the strength to chase him and soon gave up on him. Months later, shortly before he died, the fox returned to him and acknowledged him as a worthy adversary. They then passed on, not as enemies, but friends."

"Touching, but I'm afraid it won't end like that," Natyla said. "One of us will die, and the other will see another day. You see the rifle in front of you? Pick it up and prepare yourself."

Kursed looked ahead and indeed there was a rifle, the one she had used before. Somehow the wolf had found it. Part of her told her it was a trap to get herself killed, but Natyla could've killed her already by now. She then went forward and grabbed the rifle, checking the clip and seeing it was full before turning off the safety.

"Now then," Natyla said. "Let's begin…"

* * *

FoxMcCloud7921


	12. Chapter 11

(A/N: Hey everyone, before I start I wanted to make a few announcements. First off, there's only a certain amount of chapters left in this story so right now I'm going to make it a priority to finish it. Second, once that's over, I'll finally start working more on my Digimon story. Yeah, don't expect any Star Fox stuff afterwards for a little while, although technically I'm doing this one-shot contest and the theme is Christmas in the Star Fox. That should be fun. Anyway, enough of that let's get started. The song I'm using here is "Assassin vs. Saladin" from Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes.)

* * *

Chapter 11

*As soon as Kursed heard those words, she jumped down into cover as the bullet zoomed past her. Natalya currently had her at a disadvantage, but Kursed remembered that her rifle had a laser attached, meaning she was using a standard scope, and she could use that to her advantage. The uneven terrain outside at least gave her good cover.

No doubt Natalya was changing position, and she had to as well. What Natalya didn't know was that Kursed could find her position so easily. But then again, with Natalya being a wolf, she had good hearing and sight on her side.

Kursed located her near one of the trees and took aim. It wasn't a clear shot but it would be enough to startle the sniper. After she fired, she pulled the bolt back, ejected the shell and pushed it back in. While bolt-action rifles took longer to reload, they made up for it in firepower. Natalya was indeed surprised that her spot was compromised so quickly and moved to a new spot of cover.

"I see you have more skill than I thought," Natalya said tauntingly. "But now a storm's coming in and we'll see how well you can handle the elements."

Shit. She was right, a storm was coming in and snow was starting to blow in from all directions. That was going to complicate things. As she focusing, a bullet pinged right above her head. Natalya was missing on purpose, trying to intimidate her. However, she was able to tell where the bullet was as she looked out in that direction and fired. She heard a grunt of pain but it wasn't a fatal shot. She had been shot in the shoulder, and normally this would cripple her arm but she had the strength to still hold her rifle in both arms. Kursed had to her admire her strength and determination but this had to end now.

Kursed stayed put, hoping to flush her out. The wind and the snow was interfering with being able to tell her position but she made her move towards one of the cliffs, a high point to be able to pick her off easier. Kursed let her go, for she had a plan herself.

Natalya got to the top and sat on one knee, taking aim and looking for the fox. She was able to find her but to her surprise the fox had her rifle pointing straight at her. A moment of shock that was unfamiliar to her stopped her from pulling the trigger, a moment that would be her undoing.

A shot rang off and made its impact. Natalya looked down and saw there was a large red stain on her trench coat, one that was getting larger by the second. "Beat me at my own game…" she said softly as she fell off the cliff, taking her gun with her and hitting the ground hard.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Enclosure" from Metal Gear Solid 4.)

* * *

Kursed made her way over, her rifle now strung on her shoulder but her blaster was drawn, just in case. *She slowly went up to the wolf who was breathing slowly and shallowly. "I guess I really did… underestimate you," Natalya said softly. "Your reputation is… substantial."

Kursed kneeled next to her. The shot was fatal and she only had minutes at best to live. "Natalya, I need to know. What are Adamska's plans, him and Eclipse?"

Natalya smiled. "That big oaf always kept to himself…" She then coughed up blood. "He knows more than I do…"

Suddenly Kursed's commlink went off. "Kursed! Is she…!?"

Kursed could hear the pain in Lewis' voice. "I'm sorry Lewis, there was nothing else I can do… she only has a few moments…" She then took what looked like a small disc and gave it to her. "It's your friend Lewis, from the academy."

Natalya's eyes widened and filled with tears. She pushed the center button on the disc and a holographic picture of Lewis appeared, grieved as much as she was. "Lewis…" she said, smiling. "It's been awhile…"

"Oh Natalya…" Lewis said. "I'm so sorry. I should've contacted you as soon as I-"

Natalya shook her head. "The fault is mine for what I did. I was so caught up in revenge that I blocked everything out, including you. I didn't want to take over the world… I just wanted to set things right…"

"Whoever destroyed your village… I'll make them pay, I promise you," Lewis said fiercely.

Natalya laughed slightly before coughing again. "You? I doubt you'll succeed but… thank you. I don't have long but… it's good to see you again."

Lewis sobbed slightly. "And you as well… You know I-"

"I do… and I love you too… goodbye Lewis." She managed to push the button, ending the call. She then turned to Kursed. "The story I told you before… was what you said true?"

Kursed nodded. "I won't be joining you today but… someday I will. And I will make those responsible pay, you have my word."

"Thank you…" Natalya said as she took a deep breath. She then smiled. "So this is what it feels like to die happy…" She closed her eyes and took one last breath before she went still.

Kursed bowed her head and sighed sadly. Death was surrounding her again. It was nothing new to her but this was different. These people were dying for a cause not even they knew. Natalya wanted to exact her revenge but she never got the chance. It almost didn't feel right.

She then took Natalya's hands and put them across her chest, something she thought appropriate. She then eyed her rifle and took a look at it. The design was unlike anything she had ever seen. The barrel had been shortened and the regular chamber most rifles had was replaced by a cartridge that held six shots, similar to a revolver. She looked at the fallen sniper. "I'll put this to good use, I promise." She then thought about Lewis and made a call to him. "Lewis… I'm sorry," she then said. "Are you alright?"

"I will be," Lewis replied. "It's… bittersweet because I know now she'll be with her family again and she'll no longer be in pain. I'll be fine really; I just need to get back to decoding these files."

"Alright, but if you ever need someone to talk to…"

"I know and… thanks."

She disconnected the call as she heard Blade approach. He stopped and sat next to her, examining Natalya's body. _"She is…gone?"_

"Yes," Kursed replied. "Blade… just wondering… if you saw another robot or… another AI be destroyed, how does that affect you?"

"_I lack the emotions that organic beings have…" _Blade said. _"But…if there was a machine or an organic that…was taken offline…I would feel empty."_

Kursed smiled sadly. "I guess AI's aren't as cold as they're thought out to be."

* * *

(A/N: For this next part, the song I'm using is "Rex vs. Ray" from Metal Gear Solid 4.)

* * *

Suddenly, an alarm rang throughout the entire base. Kursed's smile changed to a grim one. "They're evacuating, which means Adamska is escaping. We have to stop him."

"_There are ships located on the other side of the base as well as a runway," _Blade replied.

It would be too slow to run, especially in this snow. She then eyed something even better. *There was a mechanized tank nearby, almost similar to the one she encountered on Macbeth. "Feel like going for a ride?" she asked.

She hopped inside the cockpit as Blade got in behind her. _"I can override the controls and take control of the weapons systems if you prefer."_

"Go ahead," she said as she started it up. "Can't be any worse than my shooting." The mech's systems went online and she pushed the levers forward, causing the mech to move forwards. While not as smooth as her Arwing, she was able to get a hang of the controls rather quickly. She then made her way towards the airfield. She soon saw troops making their way out of the base. Some of the ones that saw her started to open fire. "Take care of them," she ordered Blade. The mech's machine gun turrets opened fire, mowing down the soldiers immediately. Using the mech's arms, she started smashing up any enemy aircraft she could find. "I don't see Adamska," she commented. "He couldn't have escaped already."

"_Enemy at our eight," _Blade warned. Kursed turned around as she saw part of the base explode and suddenly another mech appeared, more advanced than the one she was driving.

"_You're making a grave mistake Kursed!"_ Adamska's voice projected from the mech's speakers. _"But I'm done toying with you. This ends now."_ The mech then started missiles at her.

Thankfully Blade was able to counteract the missile with gunfire. "That armor looks tough," Kursed said. "Any chinks we can punch through?"

"_The weak point is in the back," _Blade told her.

"Got it," Kursed said.

Her mech powered forward, launching missiles of its own. They hit but only caused slight damage. What Adamska had and they didn't was the laser that shot of the mech's "mouth."

"Shit!" Kursed tried to move out of the way but the laser hit her side, melting the metal almost instantly.

"_Your efforts are valiant Kursed but my machine greatly overpowers yours!" _Adamska said as he opened up with machine gun fire.

"Yeah, well I got artificial intelligence on my side!"

"_That damn mutt…I told them he was going to be an issue…"_

"Blade, aim for the legs," Kursed ordered. "That might give us our chance." Blade complied and fired another round of missiles. Just as she thought, the blast caused his mech to pause, giving her the opportunity to flank him.

She then saw it, the power source on his back. _"They never learn…"_ she thought. "Fire at will!" Gunfire and missiles hit the source, causing massive damage.

"_What have you…!?" _His message was cut short as a small explosion rocked the mech. The damage caused the power cells to become unstable, meaning that mech was about to light up like a Christmas tree.

Kursed got away as quick as she could. She saw Adamska get out and run but it was too late. The mech then exploded, sending Adamska flying and her mech to fall onto its back. Despite the slight blow to her shoulder, she was fine and punched out the cracked glass, jumping out and drawing her blaster. She saw Adamska up ahead and he didn't look good. He wasn't able to escape the blast unscathed but he would live. His leg was broken so he wasn't getting up anytime soon. He was grunting slightly in pain and then he saw the blaster pointed at him.

"I guess you made your choice," Adamska spat. "May as well finish it now."

"I could," Kursed replied.

"But you won't because you need me," Adamska said. "Without me, you have no other leads."

"Alright then, enlighten me," Kursed said, holstering her blaster.

"I can't give you much," Adamska replied. "But I can give you a location. Kew. You'll find the answers there."

Kursed stared at him for a moment. "I'll take your word for it. Blade, you stay here and watch him. I have to go there on my own." She then called Dmitry. "Dmitry, I got Adamska. Think you can send a team down here to pick him up?"

"Sure, but I can sense you have something else to tell me," Dmitry said.

"I have a lead. It's not much but I need to head there now. Something I need to take care of."

"I… understand. We'll take care of Adamska."

"Good. Kursed out."

* * *

As the call ended, the hawk gave a great sigh. Sometimes he didn't know what to do with this girl. But he employed her after all, gave her free reign. He was about to head back to his office when he heard Lewis calling him.

"Uh… Dmitry? You might want to take a look at this," Lewis said.

"_More bad news?" _he thought as he went over. "What is it?"

"I managed to decode some of these files, but you're not going to believe this," Lewis said. "This pretty much explains where Eclipse came from."

Dmitry stared at the screen and his eyes widened. "This… this is not good…"

* * *

FoxMcCloud7921


	13. Chapter 12

(A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, I know you've been waiting for this moment for a long time and often were confused with what happened at the beginning. Well, I can finally say the story is going to come full circle now. For this part, the song I'm using "Deference for Darkness" from Halo 3 ODST.)

* * *

Chapter 12

*Kursed had her finger on the trigger, her sight and aim was perfect. She could see Fox's head and he had no idea what was about to happen. And yet… her finger didn't move. What was going on? She knew what it was… what was paralyzing and she hated herself for it. No matter what Fox did to her, she could never hurt him. And why? Because part of it was her fault as well. She didn't have to leave but she did, because she let her feelings get in the way.

She was shaking slightly and she was worried she would end up pulling the trigger that way. She gritted her teeth and realized she couldn't do it. _The mission always comes first. _Fuck the mission. Fuck all of this.

She sighed slightly and took her hand away from the trigger. Perhaps it was fate that brought them both here, maybe it was finally time to reunite with him. Thoughts were swirling in her head, memories of the past and a rather vivid one came to mind:

It was nearing dusk on Corneria; she and Fox had gone to dinner at a very nice restaurant, one not too many can into, but of course who could deny the saviors of Corneria, multiple times in fact? Fox was being a gentleman as always but she knew something was off, something was bothering him. She left it alone however, it was not her business to pry and either he would explain it or not, simple as that.

The opera house was especially nice, almost two hours worth full of singing and an awed audience. And yet, she could notice Fox seemed more uncomfortable. It was only until afterwards she found out the truth. He was kicking her off the team and was trying to sugarcoat it with his concern about her safety. Part of her had understood because he had lost his father in the worst way possible and he couldn't have that happen to her. It should've been touching, but Krystal didn't see it that way. She felt anger and betrayed and after that night, he never saw her again, at least until the Anglar War happened.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a rifle in the distance and immediately ducked down. Who the hell fired the shot? She thought she took care of the nearby guards. And who was being targeted, him or her? She looked back through the scope and saw that Fox was now gone. He seemed to be fine but now that she lost track of him, she was dreading even more of running into him.

She shook her head slightly and got up, strapping her rifle to her shoulder and making her way down towards the factory. The coast was clear for now but no doubt she'd find more soldiers inside. As she would've guessed, the entrance was locked; access was limited. She then took out a card she had stolen from one of the patrols and scanned it. The scanner turned green and the doors opened.

Inside it was hot, no doubt from the heat being generated by the machinery and generators. Adamska had mentioned all of this, but what exactly Eclipse up to, and why Kew? Kew had no military, no major resources that other planets needed… unless Eclipse was using this planet to shadow their activities. Kew was only inhabited by small tribes, moles in fact. If Corneria found out about this it would be a disaster to the planet, a war that Corneria could not afford nor want to get involved in. So it was up to PMCs and organizations like Polaris, who asked for her help, to put an end to this.

She was soon in the boiler room, the hottest part of the factory and here she could see a small group of soldiers standing nearby and they weren't faring much better than her.

With all the pipes interconnecting, she knew firearms were not an option as of now. No matter, she had other ways of disabling assailants. As she used the smoke and noise to block out her approaching steps, she heard the guards' conversation.

"So I found out the best way to woo a girl. Use the military card. Chicks love that and they'll fall for you easily. I once told a girl of how I lead an entire platoon against the Aparoids on Katina, man she was in my bed quicker than you can do a barrel roll."

The guard talking was then knocked out and the other two were stunned by the sudden ambush. "Actually," Kursed said. "That card rarely works unless you got the medals to prove it." Using her quick speed, she rushed both guards, clothes lining them and then offering two blows to their heads. "Military card," Kursed scoffed as she continued on. She then found an elevator and saw that oddly this was the top floor. _"Strange, usually this is the bottom floor…"_

She then went inside and hit the button that said "4". As she went down, she immediately felt the temperature distance, as if she was heading into a refrigerator. Better than sweltering at least, she thought. As the doors opened, she saw that she was now in some small cavern with a walkway that went straight ahead. Something definitely wasn't feeling right here and as a precaution she pulled out her blaster.

The path kept going forward and she wondered how far down she was. She was starting to wonder if this was what Adamska was talking about. The answers, she felt, were soon to be revealed.

Soon she saw light up ahead and the walls soon turned to metal. She also noticed someone was up ahead, just standing there as if waiting for someone. The figure's back was turned to her and suddenly in her head a red flag emerged, telling her something was wrong because the presence she felt was very familiar but somehow it was slightly different as well.

* * *

(A/N: For this next part the song I'm using is "A Stranger I Remain (Maniac Agenda Mix)" from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.)

* * *

Then she finally was able to get a good look at the figure and her heart almost stopped. That armor… she had seen it before… on Corneria, and on the base in the asteroid belt. "Aurore?" she said.

The figure turned and Kursed suddenly felt like she was seeing a ghost, or at least one in complete battle armor. *Suddenly Aurore, if that really was her, raised her arm and Kursed saw the wrist rocket before it fired at her.

She rolled out of the way and fired her blaster, but the armor seemed to absorb most of the shots. In her mind, she was quickly processing everything. She saw Aurore get blown to bits, how can she be alive? She's not, it's obviously someone else in similar armor. Aurore wasn't talking and that was fine with her.

She then pulled out a heavy blaster and started shooting laser that would leave craters in one's skull. Kursed saved her shots and kept dodging until the blaster's clip was used. Something was definitely wrong since Aurore had an obsession and this person did not quite seem adequate with a weapon.

Kursed then charged forward, emptying her clip into that armor as "Aurore" was being pushed back by the force of the shots and once she was close enough she brought out her staff and struck her in the head and chest. Aurore was about to counter but Kursed was faster. She brought the end of her staff to her helmet and activated the burst power. The result was as if being shot point-blank with a shotgun. Aurore's helmet was both burnt and almost obliterated and the bounty hunter crumbled to the ground.

Yes, this almost seemed too easy, perhaps fortunate for her. She felt Aurore's signature dwindle, meaning she was not dead but she was certainly out cold and would be for awhile. She knelt down next to her and carefully pulled the helmet. Kursed gasped slightly and jumped back. It was Aurore's face she was seeing… but how? Maybe it was a twin sister but… no that couldn't be it.

"What the hell is going on here…?" she muttered softly.

"Yeah, that's what I'd like to know."

Kursed froze. She felt as if her heart just stopped right there. That voice… she knew that voice. She was dreading that voice…

* * *

(A/N: Okay, so I know this was kind of a short chapter but I have finally put you all at ease, hopefully. No she didn't kill Fox because come on WHY would I want to do that, hmm? Well anyway, I thought this was a more appropriate place to stop so apologies again for the shortness. But what exactly is going on and who just snuck up on Kursed? Find out next time!)

FoxMcCloud7921


End file.
